


(Don't) Kill Your Darlings

by LittleTayy



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Long Lost Daughters, OC children - Freeform, Pregnancy, Pregnancy complications, Slightly Dysfunctional Family Dynamics, Teen Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:47:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26646241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleTayy/pseuds/LittleTayy
Summary: "When did we become a pregnant boarding house?" Mark scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief as he and Addison get ready for bed.After the night Derek catches them, Addison and Mark make different choices and build a life together in New York. Now, almost seven years later, their world shifts again with the appearance of Mark's daughter Sloan. AU.
Relationships: Addison Montgomery/Mark Sloan
Comments: 17
Kudos: 18





	1. A Gilded Address

**Author's Note:**

> As I've said before, I care nought for proper timelines. So, I fudged ages and storylines to make this work. I hope you enjoy anyway. Please review. LittleTayy.

**(Don't ) Kill Your Darlings**

**~o~**

**One**

_**A Gilded Address** _

_**~o~** _

The address hadn't been hard to find but Sloan Riley had not been prepared for the size of the brownstone. It looks like four floors and there's a gold gilded address on the dark front door. She's never been inside of course but it looks expensive, it _feels_ expensive; in fact everything in this part of Manhattan feels expensive.

She feels out of place merely standing across the street from the mansion. Her jeans are an old pair but they're comfortable, her shoes are simple black converse; she is thankful though that she thought to wear a nice fairly new top that morning. Her hair is only slightly styled - she'd decided to wear it in her natural waves.

Sloan takes a deep breath as she tries to prepare herself. Her plan was simple. Knock on the door, ask for Mark Sloan and introduce herself. She knows he's a doctor but at his home she figures she probably doesn't have to address him by his title.

She is just about to cross the street when the front door bursts open with activity.

Two young children bounce out of the front door; wearing similar private school uniforms. A boy and a girl who look almost the same height and she wonders if they're twins. The little girl stands out immediately, dark red hair braided long down her back. The little boy's hair is a darker sort of blonde.

Behind them, almost immediately, comes a tall statuesque redheaded woman - no doubt the adult version of her daughter. At least physically. She's wearing a sleeveless dress and four inch heels, a bag hooked over her elbow as she squats down to talk to her children. Next is a black haired diminutive woman with jeans on and a baggy band t-shirt and Sloan can't help wondering if she's the Nanny. There's no doubt in her mind that these kids would have a Nanny.

Then last but most importantly, to Sloan at least, comes Doctor Mark Sloan. Her _father_. A father she has never met before; but she'd looked him up online.

She can't go over there now; in front of his wife and his kids, her siblings a voice in the back of her head supplies for her, to introduce herself. She frowns at the way her plans have been thwarted. A scene isn't what she wants so instead she simply watches as the redhead wife stands up and he squats down to kiss and hug his children goodbye. The wife and the Nanny seem to be talking over their heads before he stands back up.

The black haired woman takes the kids by the hand and starts to lead them away in one direction. "Be _good_ for Aunt Amelia!" The wife calls out, a clear warning in her tone. It's one Sloan remembers a lot from her childhood.

The words clue her in to the fact that the brunette isn't their Nanny after all.

She watches with a slight curiosity as her father reaches for the redhead and draws her close, kissing her soundly. She'd only been able to find his professional life online - nothing about his personal life except one photo of him and his wife from some hospital gala on page six. She remembers thinking his wife had an odd name but she can't for the life of her remember it now. It hadn't been all that important to her at the time.

Now though, she watches as they hold hands and start walking down the street. She follows them down the street, wondering when they'll separate and trying not to feel as much of a stalker as she's acting. Eventually they come to a hospital and Sloan watches them both walk in with ease; it's then she realises the wife might be a doctor too.

She knows Mark Sloan, her biological father, is a plastic surgeon and she'd thought to see him at his practice. But she didn't think they'd let a lone teenage girl book an appointment; besides that, the consultation fee when she'd looked it up was far too expensive. Even to meet her father for the first time. That's why she'd planned to go to his home but she figured, as she stepped into the lobby of the hospital, a hospital would work just as well.

She sits on one of the barely cushioned waiting chairs, eyes following her father as discreetly as she can. He and his wife part ways with another quick kiss - his wife hurrying along down a corridor and pushing open a door as he takes his time heading for an elevator. Nervously she sits in the waiting area, trying to find the courage to go up to the man and reveal her identity.

It was nearing lunch time when Sloan finally made her way up towards his office. She wasn't sure if he'd actually be in there; after all, he could be doing a surgery. There wasn't really a way for her to know what his schedule was like; she just had to hope that he was in his office.

She was nervous as she made her way down the hall, eyes on his open office door. She stopped, taking a breath before stepping into the open doorway, knocking lightly. For a moment she thought he wasn't in his office because he wasn't at his desk; until she realised he was standing by the far wall. It looked like he was examining x-rays but Sloan couldn't really tell of what.

"Yeah?" Mark replies gruffly to the knock on his door. He didn't turn around; he had no appointments or consultations booked, so assumed simply that it was a nurse or an intern.

"You're Mark Sloan, right?" Sloan questions, eyebrows raised at the tone he'd use and his lack of attention.

Mark however frowns a little at the question, finally turning around to look at whoever it was that interrupted him. "That's what it says on my office door," he retorts with a teasing chuckle.

His eyes land on the young girl in his doorway curiously. She's blonde and blue eyed and has a smirk that's vaguely familiar. He wonders briefly, only for a minute if he's given her a nose job but then shakes his head; he knows his own work. If not by patient names then by look alone.

The girl doesn't look uneasy or annoyed by him - simply curious.

"My name's Sloan Riley. My mom's Samantha Riley and...I think I'm your daughter," Sloan states after a moment, her gaze meeting his.


	2. Hello, Dad

**(Don't) Kill Your Darlings**

**~o~**

**Two**

_**Hello, Dad** _

_**~o~** _

Mark blinks, eyes wide as he looks at the young woman standing in his office. Her words are so shocking he thinks he might have blacked out for a moment or two. He feels frozen in place, trying to process what she's just told him; but his brain feels as if it's overloaded.

"What?" He managed to babble after a moment, hands dropping to his sides.

"We can do a blood test or something if you want? But my mom said she went to college with you. That you two dated for a while? But uh...that you didn't know about me," Sloan starts, trying to explain to the clearly shell shocked man in front of her. She's still standing awkwardly by the door.

"No. No, I didn't know about you. I-I remember Sam though," Mark says after a long moment, seeming to gain more of his brain function back. He remembers a few months of meaningless fun in Med school. He remembers giving her money for an abortion. Neither of these things are something he's going to tell the young woman that may or may not be his daughter though.

"How old are you?" He asks suddenly, scratching the back of his head nervously. He doesn't really know how to proceed in this situation. The last woman he'd gotten pregnant was Addison and he'd wanted both their children desperately.

"Just turned 18," Sloan replies with a little nod and a smile.

Mark tried to recall his time with Samantha Riley and found that the time added up. More or less. But his wife was the world-class baby doctor that could figure out the math, not him.

"Wow…"

And things were silent for a moment as he moved to sit behind his desk. He looked over the teenager curiously and couldn't help but see some similarities to the Sloan line. Sloan however, didn't seem content to just stand in silence.

"I uh...I didn't come here cause I want anything from you. I just wanted to meet you, you know? I'm gonna have a baby and it's not going to have a dad. So I figured I'd...try and meet mine," Sloan explained rather casually.

Mark's eyes widened almost _comically_ at the explanation.

"What?!" He stuttered out; wondering if he was hallucinating. Finding out he has a child he didn't know about was a lot; but finding out that teenage child is pregnant also? It was almost too much to comprehend.

"Yeah," Sloan shrugs, smiling sheepishly. "I'm pregnant."

It's at that moment that Addison, his gorgeous wife Addison, appears in his doorway, knocking.

"Uh, am I interrupting something?" She asks cautiously, gaze flicking between Mark and Sloan curiously. And Mark knows she's trying to figure out if Sloan is a patient or not. He knows he should say something but he's still a little stunned and unsure what to say.

Thankfully, Sloan doesn't have any such hesitation.

"Oh, no! I'm Sloan…" Sloan introduces herself. She knows this is the wife and that she should probably be more tactful but she's never been that. She opens her mouth, to continue speaking but Mark beats her to the punch.

"Addie. Can I talk to you?" Mark says finally, pushing up from his desk chair and making his way towards his wife.

Addison frowns, looking thoroughly confused but let's her husband guide her from the room. He pushes her a little further down the hallway before sighing, running a hand through his greying curls.

"She says she's my daughter!" Mark tells her, eyes wide and surprised. "You remember Sam Riley from Med school? We...fooled around for a bit. She told me she was pregnant and I…" he cringes then, thinking about how _douchey_ his 20 something self was. "I gave her money for an abortion. She told me she had it and I didn't think anything of it when she dropped out of school…" Mark explained. The dropout rate for medical school was high; so many realising they couldn't hack it.

Addison was stunned, eyebrows raised so high they could touch the ceiling. She'd simply stopped by to see if Mark wanted to grab lunch together. She hadn't been expecting to hear this kind of life-changing news.

"Are you _sure_?" She asked, not wanting to sound so negative but she knew things weren't always as they seemed.

Mark sighed, shaking his head. "No, I'm not sure. But the time and her age fit. I...I really think she could be my _child_ Addie," Mark whispered and if Addison didn't know him so well, she'd have missed the notes of wonder and fear in his voice.

"Okay," Addison nods, keeping her voice steady. This is a lot to take in after all but she can sense her husband needs her to be strong about this. "We should get a DNA test though, just to make sure. And...did she say she's _pregnant_?"

Mark cringes. "She did…"

"You're...going to be a _grandpa…could_ be a grandpa..." Addison mumbles, shaking her head in disbelief. She had just been coming to ask about lunch; she couldn't imagine how shocked Mark must be.

She took a moment and then another, taking a deep breath and exhaling before finally looking back up at Mark. Her eyes found his worried ones and stepped closer, bringing a hand up to rub at his shoulder. Her other hand found his cheek, cupping firmly but tenderly.

"It's going to be okay," she started though she wasn't sure if that was true. The appearance of a previously unknown, almost adult child, would throw anyone for a loop. "We'll get the DNA test and then we'll figure it out from there Mark. Okay?"

He took a moment - inhaling then exhaling - before nodding solidly his eyes on his wife.

"Okay," he echoed back, his hands drifting to hold her waist. "Shit Red. I love you."

Addison smiled softly, pecking him quickly on the lips. "I love you too," she replies before stepping back a little. Her brows furrowed slightly, eyes flicking to his office door. "Do you...want me to stay?" She asked, not sure what the protocol was in this situation.

Mark nodded his head, taking her hand in his. "Yes," he replied, leading them back towards his office. Addison simply nodded.

They stepped into the office together, still holding hands. Sloan looked up at them curiously, a very familiar smirk on her lips. Her smirk grew when neither doctor spoke, simply gazing at her awkwardly.

"So you're his...wife?" Sloan asked, directing the comment at Addison lightly. It wasn't hard to put together; there was a two month old family portrait on Mark's desk. Mom, dad and two perfect grinning kids - it was very Stepford Wives looking.

"Oh! Yes. Addison. Addison Montgomery-Sloan," Addison introduced herself with a bit of surprise. She moved a hand forward as if to shake and then wondered if teenagers shook hands. She winced a little as she smoothed it down the skirt of her dress. She ignores the amused look Mark gives her.

"You've got cute kids," Sloan says, pointing to the portrait.

"Thank you," Addison replies sincerely, tone softening a little at the mention of her children.

They lapse into another moment of awkward silence then before Sloan stands up abruptly. "Look, I didn't come here to disrupt your lives. I don't want anything, really. I just...wanted to meet my dad. You know? I'll uh...I'll just go now."

And with that she starts towards them, clearly heading for the door.

"Wait, Sloan. You don't have to just...leave," Mark rushes to say, looking as unsure about anything as he's ever been. "You're my daughter and I want to get to know you," he continues sincerely.

Something flickers through Addison at Mark calling this teenager his daughter but she pushes it aside for the moment. He seems fairly certain and she makes a note to talk to him further about it. Later, when they're alone.

"You do?" Sloan replies with a frown, seemingly thrown by the words. She hadn't expected that. She knew he hadn't wanted her, but maybe he hadn't been ready then. Just like she's not sure if _she's_ ready now to have a child.

"Yes," Mark nods firmly. "We should do a DNA test to be absolutely sure. But...you've got the Sloan nose," Mark continues, giving her his trademark smirk.

Addison raises an eyebrow but accepts the situation for now. So instead she turns towards Sloan, a warm smile on her features and focuses on the things she does know.

"I heard you say you were pregnant before. I'm an OB/GYN as well as a surgeon. Have you...had an ultrasound yet?" She asks, offering something in the hopes of being useful.

"Uh, no," Sloan replies slowly, shaking her head. She'd simply done a few home pregnancy tests and hadn't really had time to think about going to a doctor once her mom kicked her out.

"Would you like to?" Addison asks, giving the teenager what she hopes is a comforting smile.

Sloan hesitates for a moment but then nods. It'll be kind of cool, she figures, to see her kid. Plus she's not really sure how far along she is even though she's got a vague idea. "Sure," she agrees.

"Alright. Come with me then," Addison grins, gesturing for Sloan to follow her. "Do you want...uh, Mark to come?" She questions curiously, frowning a little as she looks between them.

"Yeah, okay," Sloan says with a nod.

So the three of them exit the office, Addison leading them down the hall.


	3. All Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is far longer then the previous two. So, hopefully that makes up for the little wait. I hope you enjoy. Please review. :) LT.

**(Don't) Kill Your Darlings**

**~o~**

**Three**

_**All Talk** _

_**~o~** _

Two days had passed since Tuesday's revelation. Mark and Addison had barely had the time to sit down and talk about it. A few casual conversations as they went to bed did not a proper discussion make.

They weren't fighting but it wasn't hard to figure out that something was going on. Especially when they had someone as eagle eyed and observant as Amelia Shepherd living with them. Samson and Madison were too young to truly realise something weird was going on with their parents; but Amelia was not.

She had known Mark since she was a child, basically all her life. And she'd known Addison since she was a teenager. They were two of a short number of people she considered herself closest to. They were her family.

"Alright. Spill," Amelia exclaimed as she made her way into the kitchen.

Dinner was done and the kids were in the living room for a little bit before bed. It was just the three adults in the kitchen now; leftovers being put away and the bench being wiped down. Amelia was always so amused by how domesticated the pair were now.

"What?" Addison replied, brows furrowed as she looked up at her former sister-in-law. Though technically they didn't need to have anything to do with each other, Addison would always think of Amelia as her sister. And she knew Mark would always think of her as his little sister too.

"Something," she starts, twirling a hand between Mark and Addison, "is going on between you two. You don't _seem_ angry. So what is it? Are you knocked up again?"

Addison snorts at that, shaking her head. "No, I am _not_ knocked up," she replies, giving a pointed look to Amelia's own slightly rounded stomach. One pregnant woman in the house was enough.

"So, what then? You two are givin' off very weird vibes," Amelia continues, sitting at the bench and leaning forward to watch them both curiously.

Amelia watches them both, eyes flicking between them eagerly.

Addison sighs a little, glancing towards Mark. Her eyes meet his, head tilting a little; hoping to convey her message. This is Mark's news to share or not and though they both trust Amy they haven't even had the chance to properly discuss it between themselves.

Mark however, seems to take the hint and nods. He doesn't mind sharing this with Amy. Addison nods again, turning towards the fridge and pulling out an open bottle of wine. She busies herself with pouring a drink as Mark talks.

"I have a daughter," Mark starts a little cautiously, arms crossed as he leans against the kitchen sink.

Amelia frowns, a smirk on her lips as she laughs. "Yeah, _I know_. She's in the living room trying to wrestle her brother," she jokes, head jerking up towards where the two youngest Sloan children were playing.

"No," Mark shakes his head, arms crossing over his chest. "Not Maddie. _Another_ daughter-"

"You got someone else pregnant?!" Amelia hisses, interrupting him before he can finish. She whirls around, wide eyed at Addison then, conscious of keeping her voice down. "Jesus Addison! Why the hell is he still in the house? I'd expect screaming and plate throwing," Amelia exclaims, utterly unable to understand why Addison seemed so calm.

She remembered how jealous Addison could be; _especially_ when it came to Mark. Addison always said Mark drove her crazy - and it was true, Amelia had seen it first hand. It didn't make any sense to her that Addison seemed so _calm_ ; as if the thought of another woman having Mark's child, of Mark _cheating_ on her, wouldn't send her into hysterics.

Addison couldn't help the slightly amused smirk that graced her lips at Amelia's reaction. "It's not what you think," Addison told her simply, nodding back towards Mark before taking a sip of her wine. She moved around the kitchen island to stand beside Mark, reaching up a hand to rub comfortingly over his tense bicep.

Amelia's eyebrows rose significantly, watching the display. "So what the hell is it?" She asked, leaning eagerly against the island bench. She still wasn't convinced it wasn't some type of questionable situation regarding Mark. Her eyes narrowed, looking between the couple, wondering just what exactly they were talking about and hoping they'd start explaining _right now_.

Mark inhaled, then exhaled, muscles flexing as he uncrossed his arms and settled one around Addison's waist. She was solid and warm and real beside him; it kept him grounded, being able to touch her and feel her. He'd always been a tactile person and that had only gotten more true with Addison as the years went by.

"I'd never cheat on Addie, you know that," Mark told her gruffly, shaking his head a little. All three of them felt it pertinent not to mention the fact that he had cheated on Addison before and it was the reason they had spent much of her first pregnancy broken up. But that was then and this was now and this was a whole _different_ situation. "In med school, I got this girl pregnant but I thought she had an abortion. Turns out...she didn't. I apparently have an 18 year old daughter. Her name is Sloan."

Amelia sat there and stared at the older couple for several long minutes processing the information. Of everything that she had expected to hear, this was not it. Sure they'd all joked in the past that Mark may have kids running around out there that he didn't know about; they'd never expected any to actually pop up. Well, Amelia hadn't at least. She was almost sure neither Mark or Addison had either.

"You've got a teenage daughter," Amelia murmured, fighting the urge to inappropriately giggle. "What are you going to do?" She asked, genuinely curious to know what Mark's intentions were.

He shrugged then, pulling Addison closer, pressing her chest to his back. She felt almost like a comfort bear as he clung to her, his strong arm holding her tightly in place. She didn't say a thing, just sipped her wine as Mark explained about the DNA test they'd taken. She winced a little, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, as he mentioned the feeling he had that Sloan really was his child; she didn't even realise she'd done it but Amelia's eagle eyes had caught it. No doubt the younger doctor would be filing it away for later use.

"And if the paternity test comes back positive, then I want to get to know her and help her. Did I mention yet that she's...pregnant?" Mark continued, sighing as he spoke and shaking his head. It was so clear that he had no idea what to do with a (possible) pregnant teenage daughter.

If Amelia had been drinking, she was sure she'd have done a spit take at the last piece of information Mark had revealed. "Pregnant? With a baby? _You_. Mark Sloan. You're going to have a grandchild?" Amelia laughed, unable to help herself this time.

"Yep," Mark breathed, smiling in a way that made it clear he really didn't know how to feel about the grandfather thing just yet. They'd know for sure tomorrow morning when the paternity tests came back. He was about to say more, maybe crack a joke because he didn't know what else to say when he was interrupted.

" _Mommyyy!_ " came the somewhat slightly whiny voice of one of their children. He was never good at picking out who was who when they were both loud and sounded so similar. Addison moved out of his embrace, finishing off the wine in her glass and setting it down on the marble bench top as she headed for their children.

"Looks like I'll be playing referee," Addison joked, giving them both an amused smile, though Amelia noticed it didn't quite reach her eyes.

**~o~**

It was a Friday, lunchtime and Mark was in a little diner with Sloan Riley, his _daughter_. He had cleared his schedule for Friday, knowing that's when they'd get the test results back and he was glad he had. He didn't think he should be going into surgery after finding out he was in fact Sloan's biological father.

It's awkward, sitting there across from the 18 year old daughter he never knew he had. He doesn't know a _thing_ about her. Their conversations since their first meeting have been brief and mostly fixed on his paternity or her pregnancy. They haven't gotten to know each other in any meaningful way; hell, Mark doesn't even know when her birthday is yet.

He thinks he should speak, break the silence, take the initiative and learn about his daughter. But he doesn't know how. Even thinking of Sloan as his daughter poses an uncomfortable sensation; for five years the word daughter has been associated with Madison. Now, it conjures up another association, one of the teenager in front of him and it's strange. He has two daughters now and three children; and he can't help but find it odd that one of his kids isn't also Addison's. He'd spent _years_ steadfastly avoiding having children, Addison is the only woman he's ever _wanted_ to have children with.

He won't be telling Sloan that though.

He doesn't think it'd be right for him to tell her that he hadn't wanted her. That he'd expected her mother to have an abortion. It sounds terrible and looking back on it, Mark hates how careless he used to be. The actions of his past aren't really regrets but he isn't particularly proud of some of the choices he'd made. Even now he still wishes he would have behaved differently when it came to Addison and Derek and that night.

But he loves his life now and he wouldn't change it; even if he wishes he hadn't hurt the two people he loved most at the time.

He'd changed however, when his son was born. It was like everything had fallen into place and he couldn't imagine loving someone as much as he loved Samson and then Madison. His therapist had been surprised by his sudden change in attitude and so had Addison. He hadn't been able to explain it in a way either of them understood but the change had stuck and he'd never been happier. He couldn't help but wonder if knowing about Sloan when she was first born would've created the same change in him. Somehow, he didn't think so.

Sloan is his daughter though and despite the fact it had been 18 years, he wanted to step up and be involved in her life now. He couldn't do that though, if he didn't start talking. Mark knew it was up to him to make the first move now; he couldn't just expect Sloan to initiate everything.

"You said you just turned 18?" Mark started after a moment of silence, looking over at his daughter awkwardly. He reached for his glass of water, simply to have something to do with his hands. Their food hadn't arrived yet.

"Yeah," Sloan nods, an amused smile on her lips as she gazes back at him. Mark's still getting used to seeing another pair of his eyes gazing back at him. Samson truly was his mini-me in just about every way and he suddenly wonders if Sloan had looked like him as a child. He should ask her about baby photos. "March 22nd," Sloan tells him with a slight shrug.

"Are you still in school?" Mark asked then, knowing Samson and Madison wouldn't start summer break for another month at least. His brows furrow, if Sloan had just turned 18, he didn't think she'd have graduated yet.

He watches as Sloan sighs and smirks, pressing back against the vinyl of the bench seat she's sitting in. She doesn't answer him however and he has a feeling he knows the answer. He grimaces a little; he doesn't like the idea of one of his children not graduating from school. But he doesn't want to push, he's known her for less then a week.

"Look, you...don't need to go all _dad-like_ on me. Okay? I just came here cause I wanted to meet you. Not because I needed a father," Sloan replied snarkily, her look unimpressed.

Mark sighed but he had to concede that acting all _dad-like_ as she'd put it probably wasn't going to fly. After all, she had spent 18 years of her life without him around, he couldn't expect to just fall into that kind of relationship with her.

"Okay," he replied with a nod and a sigh. His hand came up to scratch the back of his head, unsure what else to say for the moment. He hadn't expected simply talking to her would be so hard. "Well, we've met and...I'd like to get to know you. If that's something you'd like to do?" Mark tells her carefully, watching her as she processes his words.

Now that he knows about her, Mark doesn't think he'll be able to just ignore her existence. He doesn't think Addison would want him to, either; though he can sense she is uncomfortable about the whole situation. They really should have a conversation about everything that had happened that week.

Sloan's face screws up for a moment, looking at him curiously. "Get to know me? Like...talk about my childhood and all of that?" she asked, sound rather unimpressed by the idea.

Mark chuckled a little nervously. "Something like that, yeah," Mark agrees, although he doesn't exactly know what he means just yet. All he knows is that he'd like to have the teenager in his life, if he could. "How long are you planning to stay? In the city, I mean. Would you want to meet you-...the kids? Samson and Madison would be thrilled to have an older sister, I think," Mark explained, chuckling a bit as he thought about his two rather rambunctious and wild children. He couldn't help but wonder if Sloan had been the same as a child.

"Your wife gonna be okay with that?" Sloan asked point blank, eyes meeting his in genuine curiosity. Addison Montgomery-Sloan had been nothing but nice to Sloan. But the teenager couldn't help wondering just how long that would last for considering the woman's husband now had a teenage daughter he'd never met before.

"Yes," Mark replied with a firm nod. There was no doubt in his mind at least that Addison would be okay with it. They needed to have a proper discussion about everything first, of course but he couldn't imagine her wanting him _not_ to have a relationship with his daughter. He knew she was protective of their children but Sloan was their half sister and he just didn't like the idea of lying to them about that. "Addison and I are on the same page. Don't worry," Mark told her. It wasn't a lie but it wasn't necessarily the truth either; Sloan didn't need to know that though.

The blonde teenager nodded, lips pursed a little as if she didn't completely trust him. Mark thought that was fair, they'd only met four days ago, after all. He certainly didn't expect Sloan to immediately see him as a father; he hadn't done anything to prove he was more then just a sperm donor to her.

"If you say so," she shrugs. "And I guess meeting them couldn't hurt. Get to see what having a little kid is like…" she mused, her attention drawn away as their drinks are finally brought out. She reaches for the milkshake eagerly, slurping it enthusiastically. When Mark gives her an amused look, she shrugs again. "The baby likes milkshakes," she says, casually gesturing down towards her stomach.

Mark nods, unable to believe he'd almost forgotten that Sloan is pregnant. Almost 10 weeks, Addison had informed them both at the ultrasound she had performed. It was still hard to wrap his head around the fact his teenage daughter is going to have a baby; it seems surreal.

"Right," he says gruffly, nodding a little. He sips at his coffee for a moment before a thought registers in his mind. "What'd your mom think about...the baby? And you coming to meet me?" he asks then, suddenly very curious about Sam Riley's reaction.

Sloan's gaze drops then and the expression on her face is one Mark is familiar with; _guilt_.

"Sloan?"

The teenager sighs, frowning as she crosses her arms defensively, milkshake forgotten for the moment. She huffs out a sigh, shrugging her shoulders as she looks back at Mark. "She doesn't know I've come to meet you," Sloan admits, an edge to her voice that Mark doesn't quite know what to make of.

"What? Shouldn't you ring her or something? You've been here almost a week. Where does she think you are?" Mark asked, suddenly concerned. He couldn't imagine he'd like it if at 18 he didn't know where Samson or Madison were for a week.

Another sigh and this time, her shoulders dropped. "It doesn't matter. She kicked me out when I told her I was pregnant," Sloan explains, a defiant look in her eyes as they meet Mark's.

Mark's eyes widen at the words, but he does his best to school his features. "Are you serious? What are you going to do?" he asked, suddenly thoroughly concerned. Being pregnant could be hard enough for a woman but being a pregnant teenager that's been kicked out of home? Well, he can't imagine that things have been easy for Sloan.

Sloan simply shrugs, looking away from him and sipping at her milkshake. There's silence for a moment, though Mark wants to say something; he just isn't sure what. Sloan beats him to it.

"I'll probably stick around for a couple weeks though," she offers him with a shrug. She doesn't know why she's saying this, that hadn't been her original plan but Mark seems to want to spend a little more time with her. And well, she's never had a father before.

Mark grins then, eyes lighting up a little. Then, before his mind can think, he's speaking. "You could stay with us, if you wanted?"

They both look surprised by the offer and are saved from speaking when a waitress finally brings out both their meals.

**~o~**

That night dinner, bath and bed had been done alone. Addison had had an emergency surgery and Mark wasn't quite sure where Amelia was. It was an odd occasion to be the only one wrangling his kids through their night time routine; it was hardly the first time of course but it had been a while.

So as it was, he was already in bed watching SportsCenter when Addison finally came home. He caught a glimpse of red hair as she trudged up the stairs outside their bedroom door to check on the kids, before she'd make her way back down to their room. She still wasn't completely used to them being on a different level of the house to them just yet.

Five minutes later she was trudging into their bedroom, looking beat. Mark refrained from saying that to her though. A smart move on his part.

"Hey babe," Addison greets him softly, coming over to the side of the bed and giving him a quick peck. "I'm sorry I missed them tonight. But I got called into emergency surgery," she tries to explain but Mark waves her off, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

"I know and it's fine. Don't beat yourself up, Red. Surgeries happen. We both know that…" he tells her with a shrug and a grin. He pushes a little at her shoulder then. "Now go, have your shower. I know you're _dying_ to," he chuckles playfully.

Addison simply grins, leaning over to give him another, far less chaste kiss before disappearing into their bathroom. Mark settles back against the headboard, once again focused on the sports reports being talked about on screen. He can hear Addison going about her nightly routine and when she appears back in their bedroom, she's in an old thin band t-shirt that he has no doubt is one of his own. It barely scrapes past her bottom but he's certainly not complaining when he gets a view of her long, long legs.

She's rubbing some kind of moisturiser into her hands and arms, hair piled atop her head, as she climbs into bed beside him. He's watching her and though he knows his intention for the night was to talk, because he knows they absolutely have to, his mind is on something decidedly different. Mark's muted the TV now, remote tossed carelessly on his bedside table, as he starts to lean over, intending to start something with his lips and hands. Addison speaks first however, interrupting his plans.

"We should talk, Mark," Addison says, turning to face him with a small smile. She wasn't completely oblivious to what he had been trying to do. "About Sloan."

Mark sighs but settles back against the bed. They're both propped up on the numerous pillows behind them and the headboard. He reaches for her hand, the one that's usually adorned with her wedding rings but he knows she'd have taken them off for her shower. He knows she puts them in a jewellery box on her vanity for safe keeping. He runs the tip of a finger over her palm, the motion soothing and quelling his need to touch her more, for now at least.

"Yeah," he nods, sighing a little as he turns his head to look into her bright blue eyes. "We should."


	4. Interlude: Wreck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is short and simply an interlude. These were always planned as part of the story, to help fill in some of their background. I hope you enjoy. Please review. :) LT.

**(Don't) Kill Your Darlings**

**~o~**

**Interlude**

_**Wreck** _

_**~o~** _

"We need to talk," Addison whispers as she makes her way into the bedroom. The bedroom that isn't really hers but that she's been sleeping in for the past two months. The past two months that her husband has been gone and she's been, essentially, shacking up with his best friend. God, the very thought of it makes it sound like her life is some kind of soap opera and now, now _this_.

Addison feels sick. She doesn't know what she's going to do. She's still _married_ and she has no idea where Derek is and frankly, she's terrified. Absolutely and utterly terrified. Even more so when she finally looks up to see Mark standing in front of his wardrobe, peering at her curiously.

"What's up, Red?" He asks glibly, his ice blue eyes running over her rather salaciously.

Any other time in the past year, Addison was sure the look in his eyes would've sent a shiver of desire down her back. But right now, the only thing it makes her want to do, is cry. She's sure it was that very familiar look that had put her in this position to begin with. No husband, no home, no family; her life is a wreck and she wants solely to blame Mark but she knows she can't. He may be temptation personified but she's most definitely the one that gave into and despite everything, she can't quite feel bad about it.

Not yet at least.

"I…" she starts but falters. She needs to tell him, she wants to tell him. It is his child, after all. There's no possible way that it could be Derek's, she'd made absolutely sure and she'd tracked back a conception date. The night Derek found them. It's all rather unseemly really.

Mark frowns then, worry clear on his face and he takes a few steps towards her. "Are you okay?" he asks then, reaching a hand out to touch her arm but she pulls away. If he touches her, she may never be able to get the words out that she needs to tell him.

She nods and then just as quickly shakes her head.

She takes a deep breath, lifting her eyes to meet his and wishes she could've had some Dutch courage. But she can't drink. "I'm pregnant," Addison tells him, dread filling the pit of her stomach. She watches him as he freezes, eyes going wide and Addison thinks he may have just stopped breathing.

A long silence follows and then action follows. He steps back, glances away, runs a hand through his hair. She knows he's trying to think, trying to comprehend the news she's just shared. But it still hurts, just the tiniest bit, when he doesn't look at her.

"Mark," she starts a little desperately, eyes wide and she can feel the tears brimming in her eyes. It's the hormones, it has to be.

But Mark shakes his head, lifting a hand to stop her from speaking. "I just need a moment. To _process_ ," he murmurs.

Addison nods mutely, lips pressing together tightly. This was not what she had been expecting; but then again, she hadn't known _what_ to expect. Really, what do you do when you're pregnant by your husband's best friend and a man you're pretty sure you're in love with? It had to be some kind of sick joke the universe was playing on her.

"Are you sure?" his voice is gruff and Addison can tell he's dealing with it about as well as she is; not well at all.

"Yes," she nods. "I had my blood drawn and I took half a dozen home pregnancy tests. I'm pregnant Mark. What are we going to do?" she continues, on the verge of tears now, the panic setting in as the panic on Mark's face becomes obvious.

She watches as Mark snatches up a t-shirt, pulling it on quickly as he heads out of the bedroom. "I can't do this," he mutters, making a beeline for the front door of his apartment. Her breath hitches and she follows him quickly, watching as he gathers his keys and wallet and pulls on his shoes.

"Mark," and her voice breaks on his name and she knows she sounds desperate but goddamn it, she _is_ desperate. "Mark please don't go," she all but begs, arms wrapping around herself tight, lips trembling as she watches him.

But Mark shakes his head. He can't look at her and he can't stay, not right now. It's too much and his guilt and anger and fear are overwhelming him. He pretends he doesn't hear her or the desperation in her voice as he closes the door firmly behind him.

The tears come then as the door closes. Mark is gone and Derek is gone and all Addison can do is sob.


	5. Conversations and True Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter took so long. It was surprisingly hard to write despite the fact I knew exactly what I wanted to happen in it. I hope you enjoy. Please review! :) LT.

**(Don't) Kill Your Darlings**

**~o~**

**Chapter Four**

**_Conversations and True Feelings_ **

**_~o~_ **

There’s a long silence, Mark and Addison simply looking at each other for a moment, trying to determine what to say and who says what first. Addison is better at the silence game and so Mark breaks the quiet. 

“I told Sloan she could stay with us,” Mark starts, wincing a little sheepishly as he sees Addison freeze. He knew that his offer from earlier in the day wouldn’t go down well with Addison; especially since he hadn’t even talked to her about it beforehand. 

“What?” Addison asks slowly, brows furrowing even as she tries to resist the temptation to purse her lips. Of everything she had expected Mark to say, that had certainly not been it. She’d been expecting a conversation about their feelings; both his and hers. She’d been expecting a conversation about whether to tell their kids and about whether Sloan was going to be in their life. This, not so much. 

“Just while she’s in the city,” Mark rushes to tell her, grimacing a little as he tries to figure out just what she was feeling. He hated it when he couldn’t quite read her. It didn’t happen often, her poker face was sound at best but sometimes he truly couldn’t tell what was going on in her head. “Her mother kicked her out, Addison. She’s only 18. I doubt she’s got enough money to stay somewhere for too long. Just for a few weeks,” he continued, trying to sell her on the idea as much as possible. 

Addison didn’t know what to feel at the moment. She wasn’t angry but she certainly wasn’t happy either. “You shouldn’t have told her that Mark,” she says softly, after a moment. She pulls her hand away, leaning forward a little as she rests her head on her hand. She was trying to figure out the best way to say what she wanted to say without sounding horribly selfish. 

“ _ Addison _ …” Mark starts, frowning as he shifts a little in bed beside her. He didn’t think he was going to like where this was going. 

She held up a hand, straightening up as she looked at him. “Let me...let me explain. Okay?” Addison insists, taking a breath to center and calm herself. “I get that she’s your daughter Mark. You can’t ignore DNA. But...we don’t know  _ anything _ about this girl and you just invite her to live with us?”

“It’s not like she’s just some stranger off the street, Addison,” Mark interrupts, snapping gruffly at her. 

“Except she is!” Addison hisses, frowning as she looked at her husband. She didn’t want this to devolve into a fight. “We’ve got Samson and Madison to think about Mark. You can’t just invite her to live with us without at least talking to me about it,” she tells him firmly, trying to get him to understand what she was saying. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Sloan or didn’t want him to get to know her; but that was very different to having a practical stranger living with them.

“Oh, like you consulted with me about Amelia?” Mark scoffs, shaking his head. He swept the covers off his legs and stood up. He was suddenly feeling far too agitated to sit now. 

Addison groaned, rolling her eyes at the man as she watched him. “That was different and you  _ know _ it,” she snaps, leaning back and crossing her arms. 

“Was it? You welcomed her into our home with open arms and not even a discussion with me beforehand. She was a goddamn  _ addict _ Addie. Sloan is only 18 and she’s pregnant. She has nowhere else to go. She’s my  _ daughter _ Addison. I didn’t think you’d be so...cold about this,” Mark tells her gruffly, trying his hardest not to get too angry. 

But he was frustrated and he didn’t quite understand what Addison’s problem was. In his mind there was no problem. The DNA test had confirmed that Sloan was indeed his child and to Mark, that meant he was going to do whatever he could to help her out and look out for her. She may have been 18 already but her situation certainly wasn’t ideal. And it wasn’t as if he was suggesting she live with them forever; just for a few weeks until they could figure things out with her. He didn’t think it was a big ask and he hadn’t thought Addison would be so opposed. Apparently, he was wrong. 

“I’m  _ not _ . I don’t mean to be at least. I understand that she’s your daughter,” Addison spits out, keeping her voice low, so as not to shout. That would only inflame the situation and she’s very aware of their bedroom door still being open. They never closed it completely at night in case one of the kids needed them. 

“Then what the hell is the problem?” Mark snaps back quietly, toned arms crossed over his muscled chest. It was a clearly defensive posture. 

Addison sighs, pressing her lips together in frustration. None of this conversation was going the way she’d wanted it too. She’d been prepared to talk about  _ feelings _ and she’d been blindsided by logistics. 

“The problem is that...is that this is a really big thing that’s happened Mark. And not just to you but to our  _ family _ . You  **suddenly** have a teenage daughter. I  **suddenly** have a step-daughter. Sam and Maddie  **suddenly** have a big sister. That is a  _ lot  _ of change in five days and the kids don’t even know about her yet. Moving her in here so quickly, just doesn’t seem like a good idea. Don’t you get that? It’s not just your life that’s changed Mark. And we have to think about what’s best for  _ our _ children,” Addison tells him, trying to explain as best she can. She just needs time to get used to the idea of Mark having another child and she thinks their children will too. 

Mark scoffs then, glaring a little at his wife. “ _ Our children _ ,” Mark echoes, his tone gruff and Addison is confused. “That’s the problem, isn’t it? Sloan is  _ my _ child and not yours. That’s why you don’t want her in our house,” he scoffs, shaking his head. 

Addison blanches, mouth dropping open in surprise. “That’s not what I said Mark. Don’t put words in my mouth,” she defends herself, straightening up now in their bed. 

“But it’s what you meant,” he snaps back rather childishly. 

“It’s not! And what I’m saying is  _ valid _ ,” she insists once again. Then she sighs, closing her eyes as her head tilts upwards. What she’s about to say is going to make her sound terrible but it has to be said now that they’re talking about it. She opens her eyes and meets his gaze guiltily. “And  _ fine _ . I don’t like that you have a child with another woman. I hate it. The selfish, ego driven and self obsessed part of me absolutely hates it! I  _ loved  _ being the only woman to give you children, to marry you and settle you down. To have that bond, that  _ tie _ with you. It’s ridiculous, I know it is, but I did. But I’m not. I’m not even the first woman to have your child and now you’re always going to have that tie with some other woman.”

“Jesus Addison…” Mark scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief. 

“I know! I’m sorry. I know it’s  _ so _ selfish and...and self important. Do you think I want to feel that way?” Addison retorts quickly, grimacing as she shook her head. 

“Does it matter?” He snaps back, frowning deeply as he looks at her. “You  _ do _ feel that way. I just don’t understand how you can think like that, Addison. She’s my  _ child _ . It shouldn’t matter that you’re not her mother!”

“But it does!” Addison snaps back. “You may be her father but I am  _ not _ her mother. My priority is my children and I won’t apologise for thinking about their needs over your illegitimate daughters,” Addison retorts heatedly and she knows as soon as the words leave her mouth that it was the wrong thing to say. 

Mark gives her a look she can’t quite decipher but she thinks it’s close to disgust. 

“I didn’t realise you could be such a selfish-” but he stops himself, breathing deeply, before he says the word they both know is on the tip of his tongue. He won’t call her a bitch, he knows it wouldn’t be right and it’d only make her angrier. This whole conversation had gotten out of hand. 

“Such a  _ what _ Mark?” she questions him, glaring at him. “Go on,  _ say it _ ,” she all but dares him and she doesn’t know  _ why _ she’s pushing him like this. She’s frustrated and defensive and it’s just been a damn long week that she doesn’t know how to process yet. So she’s lashing out. 

Mark inhales, then exhales. Then does it once more. He’s just as riled up as she is now but she can see he is trying his hardest not to lash out and keep it together. “I’m not doing this with you right now. I’m not going to argue with you over this,” he tells her, shaking his head. He steps forward and grabs his pillow from his side of the bed. “I’ll sleep in the guest room,” he says, turning towards the door.

She kind of hates that he’s being so  _ together _ and mature about everything. So she lashes out and says something she knows she shouldn’t. 

“Yeah. Go run off to your little  _ nurse _ ,” Addison spits angrily as Mark turns to leave. It doesn’t even make sense, he was just going to the guest room but she’s angry and defensive and it had just come out. Immediately, she regrets the words but they’re out now and the glare Mark gives her keeps her from saying anything more. 

“Oh, fuck you Addison,” Mark growls out, stomping out of the room. He’d have slammed the door if it wouldn’t have woken the whole house up. Instead, he quietly seethes as he makes his way up to the guest room, unable to believe Addison had gone there. 

**~o~**

Addison frowns, unable to sleep as she tosses and turns in their big, empty bed. She sighs, eyes drifting open as she glances towards Mark’s side of the bed. She can’t believe Mark had actually gone to sleep in the guest room. She can’t help but pout when she reaches a hand out to his side of the bed and feels an empty space. 

She knew her feelings and reaction to his illegitimate daughter weren’t great; but she hadn’t expected him to take it so terribly. She thought they’d be able to talk about it, like they usually do but Mark hadn’t wanted to hear it. She just didn’t understand why he couldn’t see her point; at least about Sloan staying with them. If anything, she thought she was just being reasonable about asking Sloan to stay with them.

It didn’t matter now though because Mark had stormed away in a huff and Addison couldn’t sleep without him beside her anymore. 

With a tired sigh, she pushes herself out of bed and slowly makes her way out of their room and upstairs. She checks on the kids as she goes and makes her way up a second set of stairs, where the guest bedroom is located. She presses her lips together, grimacing as she pushes the guest room door open, spotting Mark tossing and turning on the bed. She can’t help but chuckle a little at the sight. 

“Can’t sleep either?” she muses softly, though no one else is on this level of the house. Her eyes adjusted to the dark and she could vaguely make out the frown on Mark’s face. 

“Apparently not,” came his gruff, sleepy voice. 

Addison could tell he was still annoyed and with a sighed made her way further into the room. She crawled onto the bed beside him, slipping under the covers with him. She didn’t move closer to him, simply turned on her side so she could look at him. She wasn’t at all surprised that he couldn’t sleep without her either. 

“I’m sorry,” she whispers after a moment, cuddling into the unfamiliar pillow. It was a little uncomfortable but she chose to ignore it. “I hate that I feel like that,” she continues softly, reaching a tentative hand out to stroke along his bicep and shoulder. He’s stiff under her touch for a moment but Addison smiles when she feels him soften a little. 

He simply grunts in reply. 

“I’m serious Mark. I do hate that I feel like that. But...well, Sloan is a part of you and I love you Mark. A ridiculous amount, really. I’ll work through my feelings about Sloan eventually. You just caught me off guard and it’s a lot to take in. You know?” she continues softly, nails stroking against his toned skin as she spoke. 

Mark sighs as he listens to her. He’d had to cool off but he’s starting to see that Addison had a point. He still thinks she’s being selfish though. But he knows she’s not the only one at fault here. 

“I know, I’m sorry too,” he whispers back to her, turning his head to look at her in the dark. The curtains are drawn, blocking out the glow from the street outside, but he still manages to see her somewhat relieved smile. “I shouldn’t have just expected that you’d handle it well. Or...feel the same way I did. And for the record, Addie, I’m not handling this well either. It’s a lot for me too,” he tells her, the guilt clear in his voice and Addison sighs. 

“It doesn’t seem like it,” she mumbles against the pillow. 

At her words Mark chuckles, deep and rumbling, as he shakes his head. “Well, I can’t just fall apart about it. She’s here and she’s my daughter. I’ve just gotta deal with it. I can’t just ignore her now, you know?” he explains, hoping his words convey how much he can’t just turn his back on Sloan now that he knows about her. It just wouldn’t be right and he’s not that kind of father. 

“I get that,” she murmurs after a moment. She hadn’t realised that he might not have been dealing with the news as well as she’d thought. She sighs at the selfishness that has apparently overtaken her this week. She scoots closer and presses her lips to his shoulder. “I support you. With whatever you want to do Mark. I need you to know that. I know it may not have sounded like that earlier...but I do,” she tells him softly, peering up at him as she presses closer. “I just think we should’ve had a discussion about it beforehand.”

Mark nods, even though it’s dark and he doubts she can see the action. He brings a hand up to tangle with the one she’s got against his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You’re right, we probably should have,” he agrees. He sighs rather thoughtfully then. “Maybe we should go see Dr. Mendelsohn? This week has been a lot and maybe we need a neutral space to...process and communicate,” he suggests, slowly, maturely. 

They had been seeing Doctor Richard Mendelsohn since before Samson was born. After their break-up they’d had trouble communicating effectively and Addison had been worried they wouldn’t be able to co-parent when their son was born. So, they’d found Dr. Mendelsohn, a relationship and family therapist and had been going to therapy together ever since. 

Addison sighs at his words but knows he’s probably right. “Tomorrow is a full day. The kids have dance and tee ball. But maybe we can get an emergency session on Sunday or Monday?” she suggests lightly, playing with his fingers. 

“Sounds good,” Mark replies and then all is quiet. 

Mark is still and though Addison is cuddled up to his side, he’s barely touching her. Usually he’d have wrapped himself around her and pressed a kiss to her head but there’s still something clearly bothering him. Addison knows what it is and she knows she needs to address it before either of them can get a good nights sleep. 

“Mark,” she whispers into the dark, wrapping a long toned leg around his stiff one. He was still nowhere close to relaxing. “I’m sorry for bringing up the nurse. I know you didn’t sleep with her. That was...a low blow,” she apologises softly. 

She can feel the deep sigh that Mark lets out at her words. 

“Do you know that?” Mark asks after several long moments of silence. She can hear the resignation and sadness in his voice. 

“ _ Of course _ I do,” she intones, sighing against his shoulder. “I shouldn’t have said it.”

She can feel him shake his head in the dark. “If you knew that and you  _ believed _ that, you wouldn’t accuse me of fucking around on you every time we get into a big argument, Addison,” he says earnestly. 

And Addison can feel the hurt pouring from him. But it’s not like she’s throwing accusations around without merit. He’s cheated on her four times that she knows about, not counting the women in that weird two month period after Derek left. The last time was before they were married and close to three years ago now; but hearing those rumors about him and some scrub nurse had really unsettled her. 

Still though, she knows she shouldn’t have brought it up the way she did. She’d thought she’d settled her trust issues when it came to Mark’s fidelity but clearly that’s not the case. She doesn’t know what to say in that moment because unfortunately, they both are right. 

“Maybe it’s good we’re going to see Dr. Mendelsohn then,” she murmurs, pressing light kisses to his shoulder and chest. 

She was surprised then, when Mark slipped an arm underneath her body and turned onto his side, so they were face to face. In the faintest glow of the night, she could see his eyes. 

“I  _ hate _ that you doubt me. But I know I’m the cause of that,” he tells her in his deep, gruff voice. He’s holding her tightly and one hand comes up to cup her face, thumb caressing her jaw and cheek. “I didn’t sleep with that scrub nurse. I haven’t cheated on you since we’ve been married and I don’t plan to. I  _ know _ I’ve hurt you but I’m not going to risk losing you or our kids again. I hope you can believe me,” he swears to her and Addison melts a little at the sincerity and passion she hears in his voice. 

She hates doubting him and if that makes her a fool, she figures she’ll always be one for him. 

Instead of answering, she simply presses her lips to his in a passionate kiss. His hands tighten on her body as she brings a hand up to cup his face. He returns the kiss with fervor, turning it deeper as he slides the hand on her cheek, slowly down her body. He gropes her ass through his t-shirt, grinning into the kiss as she moans into his mouth. He smooths his hand down the back of her thigh, nails scraping lightly when he feels toned skin and smooth flesh. They’ve barely done anything and already he’s starting to harden; he still can’t believe how hot he gets for her sometimes. 

“Mark,” she murmurs, pulling away from the kiss and resting her forehead against his as she pants. 

He simply nips along her jawline as he grips her thigh and hikes it up over his hip. “No more talking,” he growls into her ear as he pushes the shirt up around her waist. He really doesn’t think there’s anything more to say for the night and all he wants right now is to feel close to her in a way they’re good at. 

Addison moans at the words, eyes fluttering closed and arching her hips forward. She hooks her foot around the back of his thigh and let’s a hand slip around the back of his neck, fingers tightening in the salt and pepper curls at his nape. All she wants right now is for him to touch her and she sighs when he does, his fingers rubbing her slowly through her panties. “Don’t tease,” she whispers, nipping at his lips. 

Mark chuckles against her lips, pushing her panties out of the way and letting the smooth pad of his fingers, circle her clit. He grins as Addison gasps quietly, her hold on him tightening. He toys with her for a moment and then slips his hand further down, sliding two fingers into her slowly. 

Addison moans at the contact and arches her hips into his touch. Deciding to return the favor, she pushes her hand past his sweats and boxers, long elegant fingers wrapping around his hard length. He grunts at the contact and she grins, slowly starting to jerk him off. “Fuck Red,” he groans, burying his face against her neck and fucking his fingers into her roughly. Her movements are slow and languid, even as his build up and before she knows it, her hand has stopped while his thrust into her faster. Her hand slips from his sweats to clutch at his lower back, nails digging into his skin as he swipes his thumb over her clit and sends her over the edge.

She’s panting against his neck as her orgasm shudders through her, clinging to him tightly. A groan escapes her as he pulls his fingers from her and she’s still a little dazed as she feels him pull off her underwear, even as she shimmies them down her hips and legs. They shift a little and Addison watches him as he pushes down his sweats and boxers, leaving him completely naked. She moans at the sight, teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she simply  _ looks _ at the man. 

They’re still on their sides and he pulls her close once again, a hand on the back of her thigh as he pulls her leg up against his hip. One of her hands slips around his neck and the other grasps at his shoulder as she presses their bodies together eagerly. He still has an arm around her waist as they kiss hungrily and Addison gasps into his mouth as he thrusts unexpectedly into her. 

“Fuck. You feel so good baby,” he whispers against her lips and it’s true. Being inside her feels like coming home to Mark and it’s one of his favorite places to be. His fingers dig into the toned flesh of her thigh as he holds it against him, thrusting into her hard. She hooks her leg around his waist, her heel pressing against his ass and thighs and he slips his hand from her thigh to grasp her hip. He holds tightly as they rock together, his large hand guiding her movements, angling himself deeper into her. 

“Mark,” Addison whimpers as he hits a particularly sensitive spot and he feels her nails drag at his skin. “Harder, baby,” she murmurs against his lips before pulling him in to a filthy kiss. 

He nips at her lip as he pulls away and uses his hand on her hip to push her flat on her back. He shuffles until he’s kneeling between her spread thighs, helping her pull off her t-shirt and tossing it onto the floor. Her hands reach up to cup his face, pulling him into a kiss, her long legs coming up to wrap around his waist. He’s still kneeling over her body, hands pressed to the mattress beside her head as he pushes into her once again. 

They both groan as he presses his hard body against hers, thrusting deeply as she clings to his muscled form. She’s mumbling curses between kisses and he can feel the way her nails are digging into his skin, he knows his back will be a red mess in the morning and so he pulls away from her lips and grasps her hands, tangling their fingers together and pressing them down to the bed. 

“Oh, God Mark,” Addison moans, rocking her hips against his desperately. She’s panting and so is Mark and they’re gazing into each others eyes as he starts thrusting harder and faster into her. It’s a little bit rough but they both like it that way. He knows they’ll both be marked in the morning and right now he doesn’t really care. 

He feels her clench around him and quickens his pace, knowing they’re both close. It’s only a few moments more before her body tightens and she’s gasping out his name, her orgasm rocking through her and making her body tremble. He smothers his name with a deep kiss, thrusting twice more before emptying himself inside her. 

They’re breathing hard against each other, his hands untangling from hers and smoothing down her arms. He rests their foreheads together for a moment before slowly pulling out of her and shifting off of her, settling on his back beside her. He can’t help but smile softly when Addison curls into his side and he can feel her heart beating wildly. They stay like that for several minutes, coming down together as he rubs her back soothingly, enjoying the feel of her skin. 

Addison presses a kiss to his chest, just above his heart. “I love you, Mark,” she whispers softly, thinking he’s fallen asleep. 

But Mark smiles as he hears her, guiding her face up to his and pressing a sweet kiss to her lips. “I love you too, Addison. I always will,” he tells her sincerely. 

They smile at each other then and Addison realises they’re still naked. She sighs as she pushes away from him, groping around for her missing night shirt. “You better get your sweats back on,” she tells him tiredly, leaning over the bed to pick up the shirt. She slipped it on and watched with amusement as Mark shuffled back into his sweats; they never slept naked after sex just in case the kids needed them during the night. They collapsed back in the middle of the bed together then, her head on his chest and his hand in her hair.

Not everything has been resolved but it’s settled for now and as they fall asleep wrapped around each other, she thinks they really should get better pillows for this room.


	6. Sibling Accord

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took forever! Honestly, I had a hard time writing this and trying to get the kids personalities. Which was annoying because I always knew what I wanted to do for them and it was their first introduction. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Please review. :) LT.

**(Don't) Kill Your Darlings**

**~o~**

**Chapter Five**

**_Sibling Accord_ **

**_~o~_ **

Saturday’s in the Montgomery Sloan household had become very busy in the last year. Samson had started playing tee ball, which thrilled Mark to no end and with the way Madison watched the game so eagerly, there was no doubt she’d be signed up for next season too. For now though, her ballet lessons took up the morning and though she did well and looked so sweet in her little leotard and tights, her interest was waning. Despite the rush and the hustle and bustle, Saturday’s were their favorite day with their kids. 

There was something about watching them learn something new or enjoying time with their friends that Addison and Mark loved. Both of their childhoods had lacked very much parental presence and it was something that they had decided early on together that they wanted to be different with their children. Addison wanted her children to know that she loved them and cherished them and that she saw them for who they were and that she didn’t judge them. Mark wanted his children to know that he would always be there, that he was present and that he’d show up and be dependable, that he would always love them more then anything. But finding out about Sloan had him feeling like a bit of a failure in the dad department; even if he hadn’t really voiced that yet. 

It had been decided then, over the course of the day, between the kids’ engagements, calling Dr. Mendelsohn’s office and an impromptu trip to Central Park, that Mark and Addison were going to tell their kids about Sloan Riley that night. Trudging through their front door around 3:30 that afternoon though, Addison wondered how they were going to calm their children down enough to actually make them  _ listen _ to what they were saying. She shook her head, watching as her kids tussled in the entrance of their home, Mark doing an admirable job of stepping in and keeping them apart. 

They play fought a lot now, ever since they’d discovered professional wrestling on TV several months back. She’d wrinkled her nose rather distastefully when she’d seen them watching it and though Mark liked sports, he didn’t quite see the appeal either. So, they’d limited how much of it the kids could actually watch and despite seeing only bits and pieces since, the concept of wrestling had rather stuck with them. For the most part they played nicely but accidents did happen, especially when both kids were already hyperactive and bouncing off the walls. 

“Alright, alright.  _ Enough _ . Junior, Little Red, upstairs please. Get out of your uniforms and  _ no wrestling _ !” Mark ordered, ushering the two kids towards the stairs. 

He watched them disappear up the staircase before turning back around to face Addison, a long suffering sigh escaping him. Mark hated to even suggest that he was old but with two such energetic and athletic children, he was certainly aware he was no longer in his 20s anymore. Seeing the look on his wife’s face, he could tell she thought the same. 

“They get that from  _ you _ ,” Addison quipped, playfully arching an eyebrow, a smirk on her lips. 

Her heeled boots had been kicked off and their coats had been hung up. Now, she was heading out of the entrance hall and towards their kitchen. The kitchen was probably the most highly trafficked area of the house, besides the living room upstairs. Mark followed her easily; things were still a little odd and  _ tense _ after their argument the night before. But they were able to put that aside for the day until they could discuss it more on Sunday. The one thing they did agree on however was telling Samson and Madison about Sloan. 

“What?” Mark replied with a smirk, head tilting teasingly as he followed her into the kitchen. 

“All that... _ energy _ . The athleticism,” Addison said with a wave of her hand to gesture towards his whole body. Mark snorted. “I was never like that as a kid,” she insisted tiredly, pulling an open bottle of wine from the fridge and pouring herself a glass. She tilted the bottle up towards Mark. “Want a glass?” But he shook his head. 

Mark sat himself on a stool at the kitchen counter, simply watching Addison with amusement. “Yeah? Cause you seem pretty athletic  _ now _ ,” he teased once again, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. He outright laughed when he saw Addison roll her eyes. 

“Is your mind ever out of the gutter?” Addison asked, though her tone was light and she did have a slight smile on her face. 

“Never where you’re concerned,” he drawled, sending a wink her way. 

“Oh, ew! Are you two ever not making goo-goo eyes at each other?” Amelia interrupted with a laugh as she came into the kitchen. 

Addison rolled her eyes as she sipped at her wine. She leant against the kitchen counter and watched as her pseudo sister rooted around in the fridge for something to eat. 

“Oh hush, kid. As if you haven’t walked in on worse,” Mark retorted playfully. He knew full well that poor Amelia as the youngest had seen her older siblings in all sorts of compromising positions over her lifetime. Hell, she’d even walked in on him and Addison a few times. “Can’t I just look at my wife?” 

Amelia snorted, setting down peanut butter and bread on the bench. “Anyway,” she started, ignoring his question and focusing on Addison now. “What is with those two and wrestling? I had to put some animated crap on to get them to stop trying to put each other in a headlock or whatever it is,” Amelia told them, face screwed up as she made her sandwich. 

“Who was winning?” Mark asked curiously, ignoring the look Addison shot him. 

“Maddie,” Amelia laughed, finally taking a bite of her done sandwich. She let out a small moan of satisfaction at the sandwich before cleaning up. 

“You better get up there Sloan. Make sure they don’t get too riled up,” Addison said, with a tilt of her head. 

“Me? They’re your kids too, you know,” He fired back playfully, smirking, even as he stood up from the stool. 

“Oh I know they are. I remember pushing them out. But the hyperactivity has  _ got _ to be a Sloan trait,” Addison replied teasingly, unable to help the small smirk that graced her lips. Absently she couldn’t help but wonder if Sloan had been as hyperactive and energetic as her own two kids. 

Mark simply laughed at the words but made his way out of the kitchen and upstairs towards his kids. 

Addison made her way into the living room half an hour later. She’d given Mark enough time to settle the kids down before she made her way up. They hadn’t set out a timetable for when they were going to tell their children about Sloan but Addison figured now was as good a time as any. Plus, she figured, it gave them time to field any questions that their inquisitive pair may have. 

Madison sat sprawled on a lone armchair, watching some cartoon and Samson was waging a battle with the toy dinosaurs he’d taken from their playroom. He was making a mess but Addison didn’t mind, it was rare to see her kids sitting still so she simply enjoyed the sight while it lasted. She settled herself beside Mark on the couch, perching on the edge as they exchanged knowing looks. 

“Samson, Madison,” Addison called to their children, getting their attention as Mark leant forward and turned the TV off. They both knew they’d need the kids full attention for this conversation. “Mommy and Daddy want to talk to you about something important,” Addison continued, giving them both warm smiles. 

Samson and Madison Sloan looked curiously at their parents. “What?” Madison asked bluntly, sitting up straighter on her seat as Samson stilled in making his dinosaurs eat each other. 

“Madison,” Addison admonished, giving her daughter a pointed look. She’d taught them better manners then that but they had yet to stick with her daughter unfortunately. Something Bizzy was constantly unimpressed by. Madison simply looked back at her, shrugging her shoulders and giving her a look that was so reminiscent of Mark that Addison almost groaned. “Anyway,” she started, “Daddy and I want to tell you two about something,” Addison continues, turning her head a little to look at Mark. 

Mark shuffled forward then on his seat, looking at both his young children. He smiled a little as they both focused their attention on him, peering curiously. For a moment he faltered, unsure how to  _ start _ the conversation with his kids. Both were still young but he knew they understood the concept of siblings. He supposed he should just start there. 

“You know how you two are brother and sister?” Mark started, looking between Sam and Maddie. Sam nodded and Maddie shrugged. “Well, what would you think if you had another sister?” Mark asked and Addison did groan, out loud, at his phrasing. The plastic surgeon frowned as he turned to glance at his wife. 

“Is Mommy having a baby like Aunty Amelia?” Sam asked, voice pitching high with excitement. He looked a little too excited about the idea for Addison’s taste. 

She quickly shook her head. “No. No, I’m not having a baby Sammy,” Addison told him. 

“Oh,” Samson poured then, plopping back down on the ground with a thump. “Then how are we getting another sister?” He asked, head tilted in a familiar Addison fashion, his brows furrowed as he looked at his parents. If his Mommy wasn’t having a baby, then he didn’t understand. 

“Mark,” Addison prodded, lips pursed. 

“Sorry, sorry. Not a  _ baby _ sister. An older sister,” Mark corrected, still looking between his two youngest children. “You see, when Daddy was younger, before he and Mommy fell in love, he had a baby with someone else. Her name is Sloan and...I couldn’t see her for a long time.”

“But our name’s Sloan!” Madison piped in then, sitting up and looking a little indignant. 

“Yes it is. But Sloan is her first name. She has her mommy’s last name.” 

Madison frowned though and Mark felt like a tantrum was almost imminent. Besides her looks, Addison had passed down her temper to their daughter too. One of the few vestiges of Madison’s personality that she didn’t share with her father. 

“If you’re her Daddy. Why isn’t Mommy her mommy?” Samson interrupted and Mark wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or not. A Madison Meltdown seemed to be on the way, if the way her face was scrunched up in a familiar frown was any indication. 

“Because I knew Sloan’s mommy before I knew your mommy,” Mark tried to explain, though it wasn’t the exact truth. He  _ had _ met Sam before he’d met Addison, but he hadn’t started sleeping with her till half way through med school. Addison and Derek had been planning their wedding by that point. 

“How come we never met her then?” Samson asked, standing up now to lean against the couch, looking up at both his parents. Mark couldn’t remember when his son became so astute and started acting like such a little person. 

“She lived with her mom,” Mark told him plainly. “But, Mommy and I were thinking, you might like to meet her? So we can all get to know her better. How does that sound?” he continued, his left hand settling on Addison’s knee comfortingly. 

“No!” Madison spat out petulantly, pouting in her seat as she glared at her parents. She did not like the idea of a sister one bit. 

“Maddie…” Mark sighed, frowning a little. He glanced at Addison, not sure what to do. Addison herself wasn’t so sure how to handle Madison either. Their daughter had a stubborn streak a mile wide but temper tantrums, though memorable, weren’t very common. 

“Don’t want a new sister!” The little redhead exclaimed, kicking at the side of the armchair she was sitting in. 

It amazed them sometimes, how sensitive and emotional both their children were; to the point that Mark and Addison had no idea where it came from. Stubborn, temperamental, confident - all things they could trace back to themselves. But their children's delicate, sensitive emotions? They had no clue. 

Addison gave Mark’s hand, that had been resting on her knee, a comforting squeeze before standing up from the couch. She made her way towards Madison, squatting down in front of her seat, so they were eye level. “How about you and me go and have some mommy-daughter quiet time, Maddie?” Addison suggested softly, smoothing out her daughter’s red bangs across her forehead. 

“No,” Madison frowned, still pouting. She had her arms crossed but eventually leant into Addison’s touch. Addison opened her arms to her daughter, knowing she was getting too old to be carried around but knew it was comforting for her daughter. She smiled gently when Madison’s arms unfolded quickly and wrapped themselves around her neck. 

“Alright, come on,” she said as she lifted her daughter up. She turned around, securing Madison in her arms, her eyes meet Mark’s and she shook her head playfully. 

They disappear upstairs then and Mark turns back to Samson who had been watching the scene silently. He looked thoughtful and Mark wondered what it was he was thinking about. Whether he was as averse to another sister as Madison was or not. Samson could be quieter then Madison but he was just as energetic and rambunctious; Mark hated to admit that he sometimes had trouble keeping up with his son. 

“So, what do you think Junior?” Mark asked his son, looking at a fairly similar miniature version of himself. Addison insisted Samson reminded her of Archer too but Mark always thought she was just projecting a little; seeing their kids as little versions of her and Archer as kids. He thinks that’s probably why she dotes on them so much; trying to make up in some way for the terrible childhood she and Archer had, had. Mark can’t deny that he does the same thing with them at times, tries to make up for his own horrible childhood. 

“I don’t know,” Samson replied with a shrug of his shoulder. And he didn’t know what to think. He’d never had an  _ older _ sister before. He doesn’t think he’d know what to do with an older sister but he’s not going to throw a tantrum about it like Maddie did. “Do I gotta share my toys with her?” he asked, frowning up at his dad, lips curling distastefully at the thought. He already had to share some of his toys with Maddie. 

Mark couldn’t help but chuckle a little at Samson’s question and shook his head. “No, buddy. You won’t have to share your toys with her. Sloan is a teenager, she doesn’t play with toys,” Mark reassured him, reaching out to ruffle his hair playfully. He can’t help but grin as Samson simply nodded, content with the news that he wouldn’t have to share his toys. 

“Good,” Samson said with a nod before turning back to his dinosaurs. 

That seemed like the end of the conversation and Mark was surprised. Samson was usually the more inquisitive and curious of the two kids. But maybe the idea of another sister wasn’t quite concrete in the little boy’s mind yet. Mark just hoped, as he settled on the couch and changed the channel to sports, that Samson would take to Sloan much better then he suspected Madison would. 

**~o~**

Sloan Riley wasn’t sure why she’d agreed to this. But here she was, making her way  _ into _ the fancy looking townhouse she’d first seen a week ago. It looked much the same and she wiped at her slightly raggedy jeans, feeling very out of place as the door was pulled open and Mark Sloan stood there on the other side. 

“Hey,” Mark greeted, smiling widely, stepping aside a little to let her inside. “You find your way alright?” he asked, not knowing that she’d been across the street a week ago. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Sloan replied, giving the man an uneasy smile. She stepped inside and immediately felt out of place, just like she had a week ago  _ looking _ at the place. She can’t help but wonder if Mark can see that on her face. 

“Good,” he nodded and before he could say anything else, Addison appeared. 

“Sloan, hi!” Addison said with a smile, coming to stand beside Mark. 

Sloan couldn’t help but notice the way they stood together, Mark’s arm casually slung around Addison’s waist and the way they were so comfortable together. Her mother had, had a few boyfriends over the years but none had come close to the level of casual intimacy that she could see with her father and his wife. She wasn’t jealous exactly but she did wonder what that was like for their kids, to see such a functional looking relationship. 

“Hey,” Sloan replied, giving them both a quick smile. It was awkward for only a moment, the three of them just standing in the entrance of the townhouse. Luckily, Addison took control. 

“Would you like anything to eat or drink?” Addison asked, ever the hostess. Growing up with Bizzy and the Captain had, had some benefits after all. She’d been making small talk and mixing drinks since she was a child; she knew how to be a good hostess. 

Sloan looked at the redheaded doctor and shook her head, feeling the urge to stuff her hands in the pockets of her jeans. “No, I’m fine. So uh...I have half siblings huh?” she asked bluntly. 

At this, Mark grinned wider, nodding his head and taking a step away from Addison towards the staircase behind him. “Yeah, you do. Why don’t you come up and meet them?” Mark suggested, gesturing for both Addison and Sloan to follow him upstairs. He didn’t ask if Sloan  _ wanted _ to meet them; that had been part of the initial invitation and he figured she wouldn’t have shown up if she didn’t want to. 

Sloan followed Mark upstairs, surprised to see that the next level were simply a lounge room and a play room and small library. So far she’d only seen two levels and already there was more space in here then in the home she’d grown up in. Not that she didn’t love the home she’d shared with her mother for most of her life but this, this was just different. 

She stood awkwardly in the threshold of the living room, unsure what to say to the three people she could see. There was the two kids, obviously and the small brunette that she’d learnt was  _ Aunt Amelia _ . She wondered whether the woman was Mark’s sister or Addison’s; her mother didn’t have any siblings and if she was Mark’s sister, she thought it might be nice to have an aunt. 

“Sam, Maddie,” Mark called, walking towards his children as Amelia made her way over to Sloan to introduce herself. 

“I’m Amelia,” Amelia introduced herself, her grin wide as she leaned in and gave Sloan a quick hug. “So you’re Mark’s kid, huh? Nice to meet ya. Surprised there aren’t more of you running around,” she joked, laughing a little at her own joke. 

“Amelia!” Addison scolded, having finally made her way upstairs. She shook her head at her sister before turning towards Sloan. “I’m sorry, Amelia here doesn’t have a great filter,” she told Sloan with an amused smirk and a slight shrug of the shoulders. 

“It’s okay,” Sloan replied and she meant it. Amelia kind of reminded her of some of her friends from back home and now looking at her up close, she realised the brunette was pregnant too. “Uh, nice to meet you too though. So, are you Mark’s sister or Addison’s?” Sloan asked curiously, looking between the two older women. 

Amelia grinned, opening her mouth to say something when Addison cut in quickly. “That’s a little complicated.” Amelia snorted. 

And before any of them could say anything else, Mark ushered two lovely dressed children over towards them. Sloan was surprised to find that she was a little nervous as she looked down at the two kids, her two  _ half siblings _ . She’d grown up as an only child and it was odd to think that now there were two other kids that shared some of her DNA; not that she really knew that much about all that stuff. 

Mark squatted down behind the pair and grinned. “Sam, Maddie. This is your sister Sloan,” he told them gently, before he peered up at Sloan and grinned at her too. “Can you say hello?” he encouraged and Sloan watched as the little girl pouted, cuddling into Mark’s shoulder. The boy however, gave her a wave. 

“Hi! You have our last name,” he told her matter of factly giving her a smile that Sloan recognised as one of her own. That surprised her then, when she realised that the smile must come from Mark. She’d always wondered what things she’d possibly inherited from her father. 

“Hi,” Sloan said back, giving both kids an awkward smile. She’d really never been around kids that young before. 

“Wanna see  _ my _ dinosaurs?” Sam offered, as he stepped forward and reached for Sloan’s hand. All three adults were surprised by the action as Sam had the tendency to be the shy one of the two children. But there he was, taking the initiative. 

Sloan looked between Mark and Addison, unsure what to do but they both simply nodded encouragingly. “Sure,” she answered and let her new littler brother drag her over towards the couches. 

After that, the evening went rather well. Sam had gotten along with Sloan thoroughly and even Madison started to warm up to the teenager. She was still a little sulky and clinging to Mark but she’d eventually found herself interested in her older sister. Sloan herself was surprised by how much she enjoyed spending time with the two kids and getting to know Mark and Addison and Amelia too. They all had dinner together and though Sloan wasn’t interested in having a second family; it has certainly felt like she was apart of one that evening. She loved her mother, even after kicking her out, but she couldn’t help but wonder what her life would have been like if she’d had Mark in her life from the beginning. Somehow, she thought, it might have been better. 

It was for this reason that, after dinner when Mark was getting ready to drive her back to the motel she’d been staying at, she’d been compelled to say yes. 

“So, we were thinking Sloan, that while you’re in the city...well, my offer from Friday still stands. We’d love to have you stay with us for a little while. At least until you get things sorted with your mother,” Mark suggested lightly as he slipped on his coat. 

“Are you sure?” Sloan asked, eyes flicking from him to Addison as she came down the stairs. 

“Yes, we are,” Addison answered for Mark, coming to stand by him once again. A hand was on his shoulder and she was leaning into him, both of them smiling sincerely. “You’re Mark’s daughter and the kids liked you, even if Maddie was sulking. We think it’d be a good way to get to know you.”

“Plus, I don’t really like the thought of you staying in some dingy motel on your own. We’ve got the room and maybe we can help you sort things out for you and the baby and with your mom,” Mark continued, a determined look on his face. 

Sloan was surprised by the offer when he’d first brought it up and had assumed it’d be revoked. She was even more surprised that they were asking again. And despite everything she’d told herself before she’d come up here to find her father, she found herself saying yes. 

“Okay. Yeah...That’d be good,” she agreed, giving them a cautious smile. 

“Great!” Mark boomed. He pressed a kiss to Addison’s cheek and then moved forward towards the door. “I’ll take you back to the motel now and get your stuff and then we’ll come back. That alright?” He asked. 

Sloan nodded. “Sure.”

And by 11pm that night, Sloan Riley was settled in the fifth floor guest bedroom of her father’s home for the first time. 


	7. Interlude: I Don't Want You Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a deliberate stylistic choice. It's short and set not long after they've had Madison.

**(Don't) Kill Your Darlings**

**~o~**

**Interlude**

**_I Don’t Want You Here_ **

**_~o~_ **

“Fucking _get out_!”

“What?”

“You heard me. Just fucking leave, Mark. I don’t want you here.”

“What? Why the fuck would I leave?” 

“I don’t know Mark. Why the fuck would you come home with some slut’s perfume all over you? Did you fucking think I wouldn’t smell it on you?!” 

“Addison…That’s not-“

“Of course it is! I’m not goddamn stupid Mark. Don’t insult me.” 

“It...it didn’t mean _anything_ Red. I promise. It was stupid. I fucked up, I know I did. But I love you. I’m sorry...I’m sorry.” 

“I-I don’t care. You didn’t even have the decency to try and _hide it_ Mark. I just… I want you out. I’m done. I can’t do this anymore.”

“Red, please...” 

“No. No…I’ve given you two children Mark. We have a four month old, for Christs’ sake! And you can’t even be bothered to shower before you come home smelling of some other woman you’ve just fucked. We can’t do this anymore.” 

“Addie, I’m sorry. I swear it won’t happen again. Don’t do this, please don’t do this.” 

“I have to. We can’t keep living like this. _I_ can’t keep living like this. I won’t stop you from seeing your children. Cause you’re a good father Mark. You’re just a fucking lousy boyfriend.” 

“ _Addie._ ”

“You need to leave Mark. Please.” 

“Fine. Fine I’ll go. But...I’m going to fix this Addison. _I love you._ I’ll always love you and our kids. And I’m going to do whatever it takes to make this up to you and to prove to you I love you. I-I can’t lose you Addison. Not for good.”

“Mark…”

“I’m serious. I’ll come see Sam and Maddie tomorrow. And...I know you’re angry with me right now. But I’m not just going to disappear on you or our kids. If you or they need anything or you need help with them. _Call me_ Addison. Okay? I’m not going to be an absent parent.” 

“...Okay.” 

“Good. Bye Addie. I love you.” 

“I know. That’s what makes this hurt so much.”


	8. Adjustment Period

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the sixth chapter that I'm not sure I'm happy with. It is considerably longer then the other chapters, so I hope that makes up for the long wait. This is very much a transitional chapter. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy. Please review. :) LT.

**(Don't) Kill Your Darlings**

**~o~**

**Chapter Six**

_**Adjustment Period** _

_**~o~** _

"Okay, so since you'll be staying with us for a few weeks, we have some...ground rules," Mark starts a little awkwardly, sitting across the dining table from Sloan. Addison is sitting beside him and the kids are in bed. Their emergency session with Dr. Mendelsohn on Sunday had made them realise that they had to be in this together and that they should be a united front when making decisions. It sounded good in theory but neither are sure how well that will work with Sloan.

"Ground rules?" Sloan echoes, the distaste clear in her voice. She's only been here a day and already they were trying to give her rules. Mark may technically be her father but that didn't mean much to Sloan, who had grown up without him.

"We don't think they're anything unreasonable," Addison adds, giving the teenager her best warm smile. She and Mark are used to kids, _young_ kids, and though this is only for a few weeks, she can't help but worry how they'll all adjust.

"We just want to make sure we can all live together as happily as possible," Mark tells her giving her a somewhat amused smile. Sloan just nods, leaning back in her seat as she takes in Mark and Addison across from her.

"Okay. What are these _ground rules_ then?" Sloan asks, trying not to sound as sarcastic out loud as she did in her head. If they were too strict, she'd be out of there. She'd lived 18 years so far without a father, she didn't exactly need one now.

"The first one, we think is a fairly basic and reasonable request," Mark starts, glancing to look towards Addison, who gives him a slight nod, before looking back at Sloan. "We ask that you don't bring any strangers into the house. We gave the same request to Amelia, so it's not just you. We're just...very conscious of who is around Sam and Maddie," Mark explains.

Sloan nods, lips pressing together as she thought over their words. She wasn't used to having such a restriction _but_ she wasn't at home with her mom either. She kind of thought it was a little overprotective of Mark and Addison, actually, even though she'd never say that. Plus, if it was true that they'd asked Amelia the same thing, she figured she couldn't really argue with it.

"Okay," Sloan shrugs, deciding that this was better at least then a motel or her friends' couches.

Mark sighs with relief. He was worried that giving her rules, or expectations as Addison put them earlier, were going to scare Sloan off. A part of him had, for a moment, wondered if Addison only wanted to give Sloan so many rules in an attempt to scare the teenager off; immediately, he felt bad for thinking of Addison like that. He knew it was overwhelming for his wife, hell it was overwhelming for him too and neither of them had ever been in charge of a teenager before either. They were good with Sam and Maddie but they'd had six years to learn how to handle their kids; Sloan was completely different in that regard.

"Good," Mark nods, giving her a smile. He looks over at Addison then, they had decided earlier that they'd both set down the rules; an attempt to be a united front. It wasn't necessarily that they _weren't_ but more an effort to show Sloan that they were a team. They did it for Samson and Madison and saw no reason not to do the same with Sloan.

"So, is there a second one or…?" Sloan asks, catching the couples attention. She can't imagine they would only have _one_ rule.

"Yes. So, we think you should have a curfew. We're not...sure how late, since you're not in school at the moment. But we were thinking, 11:30?" Addison says then, trying not to sound as clueless as she felt. Neither she nor Mark had ever had a curfew as teenagers, they weren't really sure what was appropriate.

Sloan frowns a little. She hadn't really had a curfew at home, her mother had been working so much that Sloan mostly just came and went as she pleased. But it had it's down side; if she'd had a curfew she probably wouldn't be pregnant right now.

So she nods. Even though she's 18, she figures she can do that curfew for a couple of weeks. "Okay. 11:30 is fine. Not that I've really got any friends in the City anyway," Sloan murmurs, shrugging once again. She wanted to go home but she knew her mother would never allow it. It was easier not to think about it all then admitting that she didn't know what she was going to do.

"Alright. That's good. Not the...no friends part. We don't want to be too strict but if you're going to stay here, we couldn't have you just...doing whatever you want here…" Mark says, grimacing a little when he feels like he's fumbled his words and meaning.

"I get it. It's fine," Sloan tells them, shrugging once again. "Is there...anything else?"

"This isn't so much a rule actually. But if you could just watch how you talk around Sam and Maddie, we'd appreciate that," Mark tells her, tone lighter then before. They hadn't really thought of any more rules to give to Sloan and Mark wonders if that's a good thing or not.

"Yeah. The kids get enough of that from Mark and Amelia," Addison laughs, shaking her head as she smirks between Mark and Sloan. "Anyway, just no swearing and things like that," she continues jokingly.

**~o~**

"So," Sloan starts as she makes her way down the stairs and into the living room, "are you like, a sister wife or something?" she jokes, once she sees Amelia flicking through the DVR. She doesn't expect Amelia to snort at the question, turning to look at her with a wide grin. Amelia even looks _amused_ by the words.

"No. No I am not the _sister wife_. But, oh my God, I've gotta tell Addie you said that," Amelia laughs, shaking her head as she gestures for Sloan to come and sit down with her.

"Well what am I suppose to think?" Sloan almost snaps back, a little defensive at being laughed at. "You're here and you're pregnant and Sam and Maddie call you _aunty_. You don't have _either_ of their last names, so…"

Amelia is still smirking as she nods but she understands Sloan's point. She's only been here a few days and she doubts either Mark or Addison have sat her down and explained anything about their history. She knows they're still not even sure how to approach the topic when Sam and Maddie eventually start asking how they met and fell in love. She supposes she can cut them a little slack with Sloan, it's barely been two weeks since the teenager's been in their lives.

"Right. I've known them both for literal decades. In fact, I've known Mark since I was born, _literally_. And I met Addison when I was a teenager. They're...basically like my older brother and sister, you know? I've got an actual brother and sisters but...those two have always looked out for me," Amelia tells her with a fond shrug. Addison has always been her favorite sister and she's never truly felt judged by either of them, something she can't say about the rest of her family.

"Really?" Sloan asks curiously, surprised at the answer. She hadn't pegged either Mark or Addison as the kinds of people that had such close attachments to someone that wasn't family. Then again, she figures if Mark's known Amelia since she was a baby, maybe they _did_ consider her family. "Wait, how have you known Mark your whole life?"

Amelia sort of grimaces then and Sloan is curious.

"He...is, _was_ my brother's best friend. They grew up together and went off to medical school together. The whole shebang," Amelia says, a hand resting on her stomach. She realised she probably shouldn't talk about Derek, even though Mark and Addison didn't tell her not too. It feels wrong, somehow, to try and explain Addison and Mark's history with her brother, it feels like something _they_ really should be doing.

"Your brother's a doctor too?" Sloan asks, sounding surprised and curious.

"Yep. He's a neurosurgeon too actually. All my siblings are doctors," Amelia adds on with a slight laugh. She was just glad her sisters were married so there was never an overabundance of _Doctor Shepherd's_ at any given family function.

"Oh, wow. That's...kind of impressive. I've never known a family of doctors before."

Amelia smirks at the words, chuckling a little as she looks at the teenager. "Addison's from a family of doctors too. So, if they ever get all boring and stuffy and _doctor-y_ , you can come talk to me. I promise I'm the fun one," Amelia tells her, though she can see by the look on Sloan's face she doesn't quite believe her. She supposes though that to an 18 year old teenager, she probably didn't seem that fun either. It suddenly makes her feel old.

"So, like, are you all surgeons or…?"

"No. Derek and I are neurosurgeon's, the best in our field I might add. And one of my sisters is an OB/GYN like Addie but she never did all the neonatal surgery stuff. The others a GP and a psychologist. Obviously you know Mark and Addie are surgeon's too."

"That's cool," Sloan nods, turning her attention to her phone now.

She's only been here a few days but Sloan can't help but wonder what her life would've been like if she'd known Mark was her father since she was a kid. Would she have spent every other weekend here with him and Addison? Would she have done better at school and be thinking about colleges and medical schools right now? Instead of being knocked up and kicked out of her mother's house? She can't help but think that her life would've been better with Mark and Addison.

**~o~**

The rest of the week passes quickly and Sloan realizes that she hasn't really spent any time with Samson or Madison since Sunday. Sloan has dinner with them every night, their nanny Josephine takes care of them after school until either Mark or Addison get home and they have a surprisingly strict bedtime routine. So Sloan finds herself alone for most of the week, especially when she realised that Amelia also works long, and sometimes unpredictable, hours.

She's kind of used to it though; her mother was a nurse. She doesn't mind being on her own but it surprises her when Friday night comes and both Mark and Addison are home early. Mark's hours are more flexible, since he has his own practice and his specialty doesn't involve too many emergency calls.

Mark, Addison, the two kids and Sloan are all around the dinner table and Sloan can't help but think how _familial_ it all seems. She's never really had this with her mother; oh, they got along and they spent time together but it's always been just the two of them for the most part. Addison is asking the kids how their days were and then, much to Sloan's surprise, Addison turns to her.

"And how was your day Sloan? Did you get up to much?" Addison asks with a friendly, curious smile.

Sloan fumbles a little, unsure what to say. She really didn't do much all day; except use their internet and go out for lunch. But Addison was _nice_ \- she actually quite likes the woman even though they've barely spent any time together.

"Oh, yeah. It was good. I just, like, went out for lunch at that place around the corner. I don't really like being stuck inside," Sloan tells her lightly, giving her a shrug and a smile.

"Must be a Sloan trait," Addison muses teasingly, gesturing to Mark and the kids. "Those three don't like being stuck inside either," she laughs. She focuses back on Sloan then. "The kids have their activities tomorrow. Ballet for Maddie first and then t-ball for Sam. You should...come with us to t-ball," Addison suggests. She's promised Mark that she's going to try and get to know Sloan and welcome her and she figures after the hectic week they've had, inviting her out on their Saturday out may be a good start.

"Oh-" Sloan starts but Samson interrupts.

"Yeah! Come watch me play t-ball Sloan Sloan!" Samson says excitedly. The nickname had started a day or so ago, over dinner, when Samson and Madison were curiously asking her questions about herself. They'd forgotten her last name wasn't Sloan also and had erupted into giggles when Samson had called her _Sloan Sloan_ the first time. She didn't correct them and now she was sure the nickname was going to stick.

"Sloan Sloan?" Mark asks, an eyebrow rising as he looks between his three children; Sam and Maddie giggling and Sloan shrugging.

"Yep. It's her name Daddy," Madison informs him matter-of-factly, sounding exasperated as if it should've been obvious.

Both Addison and Mark simply smirk at each other, eyebrows raised at the words. They were glad though that the kids, Madison especially, were warming up to Sloan. Dinner passed quickly then, Sloan agreeing to go watch Samson play t-ball and Addison and Mark helping the two little ones put their dirty dishes in the dishwasher once dinner was done.

Mark turns to her then and smiles as Addison ushers the kids out of the kitchen and upstairs. "So, we usually have some _family time_ on Friday nights. A movie, or sometimes the kids want to play board games. You should join us," Mark tells her easily. "I know we haven't been around a lot this week, it's unfortunately what happens when you're a surgeon. But we usually try to focus on spending time together over the weekends," he continues as he grabs a few water bottles from the fridge, knowing the kids would want them and offering one to Sloan too.

"Uh, thanks," Sloan says, taking it a little awkwardly. She looks at Mark and contemplates just going up to her room but she hadn't come all the way to the City just to _not_ spend some time with the man. "I...wouldn't mind watching a movie."

"It'll probably be some Disney crap," Mark tells her, reaching for a beer from the fridge and opening it. He heads out of the kitchen and gestures for Sloan to follow.

By the time they get upstairs the kids are in the bath and Mark turns the television on to the sports highlights, apparently he watches it in snippets these days, since the kids tend to have control of the tv. Sloan has to laugh at the thought and wonders if when she has her baby, she'll give up watching her favorite shows for it; _if_ she keeps the baby at least.

Samson is the first one to make an appearance in the living room in his dinosaur pajamas, hair still slightly damp and curly from a bath. He's still a ball of energy but he's definitely not as bouncy as he was earlier in the evening; he immediately starts in on pleading his case for whatever animated movie he wants to watch. But Mark just chuckles, handing over his son's water bottle as he informs him that it's Madison's turn to pick the movie this week. Samson frowns, snatching up a couch cushion to sit on the floor, pouting a little. Mark tries not to laugh at his son, Addison's gotten on him about laughing at their antics and tantrums but Mark can't help it, sometimes little kids are just _funny_.

About ten minutes later, Addison and Madison finally make it into the living room, the little girl wrapped up happily in her mother's arms. Her hairs still a little damp but it's warm enough that Sloan is sure it'll dry in no time. Sloan watches kind of fascinated, from her seat on the comfy arm chair, as Addison sits down on the couch next to Mark with Madison sitting on a pouffe in front of her. Madison is in Wonder Woman pajamas and Addison starts to brush her long red hair when Mark finally asks what she wants to watch. To everyone's surprise, she picks a movie that Samson likes too, Mark putting the movie on and settling in for the animated masterpiece. Once Madison's hair is brushed and braided neatly down her back, she snuggles into Addison's lap eagerly.

It's all very domestic, in a way that Sloan is a little surprised by. Obviously, she's seen their night routine during the past week but it's not as relaxed and _together_ as this is and, it's kind of nice. She still feels like a bit of an outsider as she watches Mark and Addison sitting on the couch with Madison and Samson laid out in front of them watching the movie; they _look_ like a family and she's kind of just there. It's practically picture perfect.

Until, about 45 minutes into the movie, an annoying beeping breaks the silence.

It startles Sloan for a moment until she sees both Mark and Addison reach for their pagers. She'd been focusing so hard on the movie, it was actually pretty good, that she'd forgotten almost that they were doctors that could be called into the hospital. She turns slightly in her seat to look at them, curious about who it was that had been paged.

Addison sighs as she reads the message on her pager, she wasn't supposed to be on call and she is the head of the department, she makes the rosters. So, she knew an emergency page would have to be for a good reason. "I'm sorry," she apologizes, glancing to Mark and then towards both her children. "I better call and check this," she tells them, shifting Madison off her lap as she stands up.

Three minutes later, she's back, cellphone in hand and frowning. Mark sighs, standing up and moving around the couch towards Addison. "I really do have to go. A woman came in, impaled from a car accident at 34 weeks, they need me. I'm sorry, baby," she murmurs to him, trying not to disturb the kids and their movie too much. But Madison is pouting and Samson's turned to look at them with a frown. She reaches over to pause the movie for a moment as she says goodnight to the kids. "Alright. Mommy has to go help another mommy and baby, okay? So I won't be here to tuck you in tonight but Daddy'll tuck you both in super tight. I love you both and I'll see you in the morning. Okay?" Addison informs them, leaning over to kiss Madison and then Samson.

"Goodnight Mommy," Samson says, giving her a quick hug as Madison simply side eyes her a little. Sometimes, Addison can't figure out just _where_ her daughter gets her moodiness from. She does feel bad though, she knows Madison's been a bit more attached ever since she started kindergarten. But she really does need to go.

Once she's down the stairs and on her way to the hospital, Mark sits back down and restarts the movie, an expression on his face Sloan can't quite figure out. She's surprised though when Madison appears by her side, water bottle in hand and looking at her curiously. "Can I sit with you?" Madison asks, giving her a toothy grin.

Sloan's eyebrow rises as she glances over at Mark who is looking surprised himself but he is smiling at the interaction. "Sure," Sloan nods, though she's still a little unsure as she shifts on the arm chair, letting Madison squeeze in beside her.

"Thanks Sloan Sloan," Madison murmurs, sipping at her water bottle as she leans against the arm of the arm chair and looks back up at the television. It takes her a moment but eventually Sloan settles comfortably beside her half-sister, sipping at her own water as she becomes engrossed in the movie once again.

Mark smiles as he watches Sloan and Madison and then glances down at Samson, a warmth spreading through him at the image of all three of his children together.

**~o~**

Sloan is surprised when Sunday comes and she sees the outfits both Mark and Addison sport as she stumbles into the kitchen early in the morning. She gives them a confused look as she moves about the kitchen to grab a glass of juice and to make some toast. She can't hear Sam or Maddie and assumes whatever activity her father and his wife are dressed for is not a family one.

"Good morning?" Sloan murmurs, pouring a glass of juice for herself as she tries to figure out why Mark and Addison are dressed in fancy looking athletic wear.

They're both in crisp polo shirts, Mark's a navy blue and Addison's white, stripes of matching color ringing the hems of the sleeves. The skirt Addison is wearing is cute, in it's older woman type of way, that shows off her long legs and seems to be built for movement and Mark is in white shorts and Sloan wrinkles her nose a little at the fact she's able to see above his knee. They're both wearing sneakers and Sloan wonders if they always dress like this. She must have been staring curiously because suddenly Mark is talking to her, startling her from her thoughts.

"We play tennis sometimes," Mark says, catching her attention as he finishes off his coffee and stands up to place the mug in the dishwasher. Addison is drinking her green juice, something Sloan had tried a few days ago when the redheaded woman had been blending her own and quickly decided it wasn't for her. Or maybe the baby just didn't like it but she's not sure.

"Tennis?" Sloan echoes because that was absolutely _not_ what she'd expected Mark to say. Though, looking at them, it made sense. They were two successful surgeons, with a five storey multimillion dollar home and a Nanny - _of course_ they played tennis too. It made all the sense in the world.

Mark nods, smirking a little as he leans against the kitchen counter, arms crossing over his chest. "Yep. You play any sports kid?" he asks curiously, wanting to learn as much about Sloan as he can while she's with them.

Sloan shakes her head as her toast finally pops and she spreads butter on it. Plain toast is the only thing she can eat in the mornings now, her morning sickness still going strong even though Addison says she's almost out of the first trimester. Being pregnant was so uncomfortable.

"Uh, no. I played soccer when I was a kid but that's it," she says, taking a tentative bite of her toast. "You always been into sports?" she asks then, glancing between Mark and Addison. It hadn't been hard to tell that Mark was the sporty type but it surprised her that Addison was too.

"Yep," Mark nods. "What can I say? I'm an athletic guy. Football and baseball all through high school and baseball in college. I like sports, I've always been pretty active," he tells her, grinning widely. And looking at him, Sloan believes it. Addison though, comes off a little too rich and maybe a little nerdy to be _that_ into sports.

Addison snorts, grinning as she finishes off her green juice. "I was not at all sports inclined growing up. Actually, I was a band geek," Addison laughs, shaking her head a little. "I learnt to play tennis when I was a child, with my brother and when Mark found out, he decided to drag me to play tennis with him. Hence, why we now play tennis together," Addison tells her, rolling her eyes a little. Mark had made a case about the cute little skirts she could wear and about how it could be a good _couples_ thing to do together. And once she'd seen him in his tennis outfit, she'd readily agreed.

Sloan can't help but smirk a little at Addison's explanation. That sounds about right. "That makes sense," is all Sloan says, nodding because despite Addison's very rich, put together appearance, she can totally see her as a former band geek.

"Anyway, Josephine will be here soon and then we'll be out for a little while. Amelia usually stays with Sam and Maddie when we go out but, she's working today. They really liked spending time with you yesterday, if you want to hang out with them again," Mark says lightly, giving her a smile. He wanted his children to get to know each other and get along with each other.

"They did?" Sloan says in surprise. Sam has been pretty sweet with her but Maddie still seems unsure about her, which seems fair. They've only known each other for like, a week. She shrugs. "They're pretty cool kids. I guess I can hang out with them," Sloan replies casually. She kind of does like the two little kids.

"I'm sure they'll love that," Addison says then, as the door bell rings out loud through the first floor. She makes her way out of the kitchen to let Josephine in; they'd given the woman a key but she doesn't use it when they're home, even though they've told her they don't mind.

Sloan watches the redheaded woman go for a moment before turning back to her toast. It's only half eaten and she's starting to feel nauseous again. "Okay kid, we better get going. We'll be back before lunch though," Mark tells her as he makes his way out of the kitchen.

"Bye," Sloan calls after him, regretting the juice she'd poured and focusing back on her phone instead. It isn't until a few hours later, when they've finally come back, that she realises they don't have any rackets with them.

**~o~**

The next couple of weeks pass in the same manner. It wasn't hard to fall into some kind of routine with Sloan in the house. Samson and Madison were enjoying having her around, they seemed to think of her as a new playmate, which she didn't mind. Even though they were young. And she was focusing on them so much, it was easier to pretend that she wasn't pregnant.

Until of course she hits 13 weeks and she's reminded by Addison.

"You know Sloan, if you want to come in sometime this week and get the baby checked, I'd be happy to arrange that," Addison suggests lightly as she sips at a glass of wine, flicking through a take out menu.

The suggestion startles Sloan, she and Addison have talked minimally but not for long and nothing about the baby.

"Yeah. Uh, okay," Sloan nods, looking up at the older woman and shrugging a little. They're rarely alone together and it's not exactly _awkward_ but they're not completely comfortable with each other either.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do about the baby?" Addison asks lightly, genuinely curious about what the girl's plans are. She can't imagine how scary it must be to be pregnant at 18; she'd been terrified at 37 finding out she was pregnant. She wants to help the girl in any way she can.

Sloan shakes her head though, lips pressing together at the question. "Not really," she replies, glancing down at her phone. Her fingers move quickly over the keypad, texting one of her friends. It's an easy way to get out of a conversation.

It's two days later when she makes her way to the hospital Addison and Mark work at. She feels awkward and out of place as she waits outside of Addison's office; Addison who is the head of OB/GYN _and_ something called neonatology. Sloan knew of course, that Mark and Addison were successful and educated, she had just never realised how educated they were; Sloan couldn't imagine ever being that successful especially considering she'd gotten herself knocked up at 18. Again, she couldn't help but think that if she'd had Mark and Addison in her life growing up, she wouldn't be pregnant right now.

She's pulled from her thoughts when Addison appears, not from her office but from the corridor, hair pinned up and messy in a way Sloan hasn't seen before, and most notably, in pink scrubs.

"Hey Sloan," she calls out easily, giving her a smile. "I'm sorry I'm a little late. I got called in to a surgery," Addison tells her apologetically. "I wouldn't usually still be in scrubs. But, anyway, why don't we get started?" Addison continues, ushering her into the exam room attached to Addison's office.

"That's fine," Sloan says as she follows the redhead a little awkwardly. "Uh, where do you want me?" She asks, looking around the room.

"Up there," Addison gestures to the exam bed. "This is just a routine ultrasound. But let me grab your notes from the first ultrasound. Okay?" Addison says calmly, giving Sloan a comforting smile.

Sloan nods and pulls herself up on the exam bed. She watches Addison with interest, as she looks over her file before finally settling on the stool beside her. Addison readies the ultrasound machine and Sloan grimaces a little when she undoes her jeans and lifts up her top, so that Addison can start the ultrasound.

"This is gonna be a little cold," Addison tells her as she squirts on the gel and presses the wand to Sloan's stomach. Sloan watches curiously as Addison moves it around until she can see the baby.

"Can you tell whether it's a boy or girl yet?" She asks after a moment, eyes glued to the black and white screen.

It takes a moment for Addison to answer, she's concentrating on the ultrasound and the baby's measurements. "Not yet. It's a little early but the baby seems to be healthy and growing at the right rate. Do you want to hear the heartbeat?" Addison asks lightly, a smile on her face once she turns to look back at the teenager.

"Yeah. Okay," Sloan nods, an almost eager smile on her lips.

Addison grins back, fiddling with a few buttons before the sound of a heartbeat pulses through the room. She remembers the rush of emotions she felt the first time she'd heard Samson's and Madison's heartbeats. She lets her gaze settle on Sloan's face and what she sees more than anything, is how terrified Sloan is.

She takes a few pictures before eventually pulling the transducer from Sloan's stomach and handing her a handful of paper towels. "I'll let you get cleaned up while these are printed out, okay? And then maybe we should have a chat, I think," Addison tells her warmly.

Sloan frowns though, already starting to wipe the gel off her stomach. "Is there something wrong?" she asks quickly, worried as she looks up at her father's wife.

"No. No nothing's wrong Sloan," Addison reassures her, reaching a hand out to tap her shoulder lightly. "I do think it might be good to discuss your options though," Addison says before disappearing out the door.

When she comes back, Sloan is sitting on the edge of the bed, legs swinging slightly. She's nervous. Addison said there's nothing wrong with the baby, which is good but she still doesn't know what she's going to _do_ about the baby. She knows she could have an abortion but she's not sure if that's something she can do. The thought of raising the baby though is terrifying.

"I don't think I can have an abortion," Sloan blurts out, cringing as Addison sits on the stool opposite her. The other woman seems the type to be horrified at the thought of abortions. She's too classy and put-together for that. "I mean, it's already trashy enough that I'm a pregnant teenager. Having an abortion just feels, I don't know...trashier? I just don't know what to do," Sloan sighs, a frown on her features and her hands pressing together tightly. She really has no clue what she wants to do.

Addison sighs softly, giving Sloan a warm smile. "That's okay. An abortion isn't the only option. But, you should know Sloan, if you want to have an abortion that's completely your choice and there's still time."

"I know but I just don't think I can kill my kid," Sloan murmurs, shrugging a little. She didn't know her well but she didn't want Addison to judge her.

"That's fine Sloan. I understand, it's a _very_ difficult decision to make sometimes. Like I said before, it isn't your only option. You can put the baby up for adoption, you know Mark and I would be happy to help you figure that out. There is always the option of...keeping the baby," Addison informs her gently. She's done this long enough to know that this can be a very difficult time for women, especially if they're dealing with an unwanted pregnancy.

But Sloan quickly shakes her head, teeth sinking into her bottom lip. "I don't think I can keep the baby either. I'm 18, I can't look after a baby. I think I want to give it up for adoption," Sloan tells Addison, though she sounds anything but sure. She's been trying not to think about it but now she can't help it - she's pregnant and she's going to have to make a choice about what she wants to do and soon. "Maybe then I can go back home," she muses softly.

"What do you mean?" Addison asks then, brows furrowing as she looks at the teenager.

"I called my mom yesterday. She told me I was ruining my life… That she thinks it's stupid to keep the baby. But like, I'm not going to keep it! I tried to explain that to her, that I wasn't sure. She didn't care…" Sloan sighs.

Addison frowns sadly, shaking her head as she reaches out to give Sloan's hand a little squeeze. It was instinctive but she looks like she needs some kind of comfort. "I'm sorry. I'm sure your mom will come around though. It...might just take some time," Addison tries to reassure her. She stands from her seat then, smoothing out her scrubs instinctively. "Mark should be about done for the day. I've got a few patients to check up on before I leave but I'll walk over to his office with you, if you'd like?" Addison suggests, smiling at the teenager.

"Okay," Sloan nods, standing too and grabbing her handbag. She follows Addison out of the exam room and the silence is comfortable at least as they walk. It's only when they reach Mark's floor and are heading for his office, that a question pops into Sloan's mind. "Hey, um, Addison?"

"Yes?" Addison asks, glancing down at the girl as they walk.

"You know before, you said you like, _understood_? Did you mean like, understood what it's like to...have an abortion?" Sloan asks slowly, frowning as she looks at Addison. She can't imagine someone like Addison ever considering having an abortion.

Addison sighs, grimacing a little at the questions but a part of her kind of feels like she has to answer her.

"In a way," Addison tells her softly. She'd rather not have their conversation being overheard. "When I first found out that I was pregnant with Samson, I considered getting an abortion. More than considered actually. I made the appointment and everything," Addison admits, smiling tightly. There were only three other people who knew she'd considered an abortion with Samson. "It wasn't a good time. Things were...complicated but I realised that I wanted Samson and I wanted him with Mark. If I'd gone through with it though, I don't think I'd have regretted it back then. But it _is_ difficult, I do know that and I was a grown woman with a career. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you right now," Addison tells her softly.

"Oh. Wow," Sloan murmurs, completely surprised by the words. She honestly didn't expect _that_.

"Yeah," Addison chuckles. "So, I do get that it's difficult. But you do have a bit of time to make a decision. A decision that's right for you. Okay? And if you ever do need to talk, you can come to me," Addison tells her, giving her a warm smile as they finally stop outside of Mark's office.

The door is open and so Addison leans against it, knocking on it as she pops her head in. "Hey babe," she greets her husband, smiling when he looks up and beams at her.

"Red! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Mark teases as he stands and makes his way over. His grin widening when he sees that Sloan is also with her. "Ah, you had your appointment. That's right. Everything good?" he asks as he presses a kiss to Addison's cheek.

"Yep," Sloan replies with a shrug and a nod.

"So, I've still got a few patients to check up on before I head home. The Martinez baby? Anyway, I figure you and Sloan could go home together and I'll bring pizza home for dinner? That sound good?" Addison suggests, glancing between the two with a smile.

"Sounds fine to me. I'm done for the day. Give me a minute and then we can go," Mark replies, pulling his coat on and grabbing his briefcase. Sloan nods and takes a step out of the office, leaning against the wall, eyes back on her phone once again.

"I shouldn't be more then an hour and a half," Addison informs him, giving him a quick kiss goodbye. "I'll see you at home. Alright?" Mark grins, nodding at her words as they both exit his office. It's a familiar routine for both Addison and Mark.

Then the trio move their separate ways, Addison back up to the NICU and Mark and Sloan towards the exit. It isn't until they walk out of the doors of New York hospital, Sloan decides to speak.

"So, I think I want to put the baby up for adoption. Could you help?"


	9. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is longer then intended and I'm sorry for the wait. We're gearing up into one of the plot points that kind of inspired the whole story, so I'm excited for that. Also, the last part of this chapter was one of the first things I wrote for this story and I'm so glad to have finally posted it. Haha. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Please review. :) LT.

**(Don't) Kill Your Darlings**

**~o~**

**Chapter Seven**

_**Revelations** _

_**~o~** _

"She asked me to help her look into adoption," Mark says as they curl up together on the couch. The kids are in bed, Sloan too and Amelia is working the night shift. It was so quiet it was almost as if they had the house to themselves; not that either could even remember what that was like. It had always really been the three of them and then the _four_ of them; their relationship had hardly existed without a child present.

They had decided to watch an episode or two of _Game of Thrones_ \- Mark had been into it initially and then it'd become _their_ show. The episodes had been piling up on their TiVo because they'd both been so busy the last few weeks. She'd made Mark promise not to watch any episodes without her and now they've got the first recorded episode up but he hasn't hit play. She can't blame him though, she can tell he's had something on his mind all evening.

She turns to look at him, curious about his words and tone. "Okay? That's a good thing isn't it? She's starting to think about her options, what she wants to do," Addison muses, unsure yet where his train of thought is. "What'd you say?" She asks then when she sees the somewhat strained expression on his face.

Mark sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face before turning to look at her properly. "Did you tell her to give the baby up?" he asks, sidestepping her own questions.

Addison frowns a little at the question and shakes her head. "No. But you know I can't discuss anything else we talked about, right? She is _technically_ my patient at the moment and I'm not sure if I'm comfortable sharing information with you unless she asks me to. I discussed her options with her, briefly. If she wants to give the baby up for adoption though, that is something she thought of on her own," Addison tells him calmly. Mark doesn't sound upset with her but there was clearly an edge to his question.

"I know. I'm sorry. I guess…" Mark pauses, clearly trying to think of how to word what he wants to say, fingers pressing into the back of his neck for a moment to dispel the tension that was building up. "I was surprised? I'm just not sure I like the idea of adoption. I _know_ it's up to Sloan, it's her baby and her body. But I wasn't there for her, I didn't watch her grow up and now the thought of my grandchild being with strangers and not seeing all that either… I don't know, it just doesn't sit well with me," Mark admits sheepishly, frowning as he looks down and then back up at his wife.

Addison frowns with him and scoots a little closer, reaching her hand out to thread through his hair soothingly. "You feel guilty," she murmurs knowingly, head tipping to catch his eyes.

"No," Mark is quick to interrupt, shaking his head. A moment passes and he closes his eyes exhaling deeply. "Maybe," he admits, head tipping back against the couch and into her touch. He reaches his arm out to loop around her waist and pull her closer. He's never felt better then when he has her in his arms.

"Tell me why," Addison says softly, shifting so her legs settle over his thigh and she's sitting kind of half on his lap. When he groans she presses a kiss to his shoulder. "I have an idea but...it might be good for you to get it out. Say it in your own words."

"Yeah, yeah. When did you become a psychiatrist?" he teases, smirking at her before his face settles back into the serious expression he's had all evening.

"Not a psychiatrist Mark. Just your wife who knows you very, very well," Addison muses lightly, giving him a soft smile.

"You do," Mark sighs heavily, head tilting a little so that their foreheads are resting lightly against each other. Addison doesn't say anything, just drops her hand from his hair to give his shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "And you're right, I guess. There _is_ guilt there, I do feel guilty. I had a reputation in med school...I know, not just med school but, you know what I mean. I can understand why Samantha didn't tell me but...but I'd like to think I'd have stepped up. You know? Obviously, giving her money for an abortion didn't exactly send her a great message but that was because she said that's what she wanted to do. And then she _didn't_ and now I have an 18 year old daughter I never knew about...and I feel _bad_ and _guilty_ for not being there. I can't help thinking that if I'd known and been around, maybe she wouldn't be pregnant right now? She wouldn't be thinking of giving up her child. It just feels like things could've been different if I was there, if I'd known. I never wanted to be an absent father, Ads. You know that. And...and knowing Sloan's grown up without me…she's my family and I feel like a pretty shitty father," he finishes heavily, shaking his head a little. He knows it's not exactly logical to think that way but he can't help it; he's tried so hard to be a good dad to Samson and Madison and he hates that he didn't have the opportunity to do the same with Sloan.

"You are _not_ a shitty father Mark. You're far from it, in fact. Hey, look at me," Addison encourages, waiting until his eyes find hers. "You are an **amazing** father. To our two little ones _and_ to Sloan. Ever since she got here you've wanted to help her, you've been stepping up. Yeah, it's shitty that you didn't get to be there for her while she was growing up but you're here for her now. And you...can't think about the _what if's_ okay? You'll just drive yourself crazy. All that matters is what you can do _now_. That's what matters."

Mark sighs though, still frowning a little as he takes in Addison's words. "Why do you have to be so smart?" he chuckles drily. He sighs though. "I know you're right. It's just...hard to think about when I feel so guilty, you know?"

"I know and you _know_ I know guilt," she laughs lightly. Her face turns serious then. "So Sloan mentioned at the appointment that she talked to her mom the other day and I think you should talk to her about it… It doesn't seem like a good situation she's in," Addison muses, feeling as if she's pointing out the obvious. "She said something about not being able to go back home and I don't like the sound of that. She should be in a _stable_ environment and I was thinking...maybe she could stay with us until the baby is born. We can help her out and help her get back on her feet," Addison suggests lightly, lips pressing together nervously.

"Like Amelia?" Mark remarks a little astounded. This was not something he was expecting to hear from Addison. "Are you absolutely sure Addison? Because if we do this, we're in it. We can't change our minds two or three months from now. I won't do that to her," Mark tells her seriously.

Addison smiles and nods. "I'm sure Mark. I know my initial reaction wasn't _great_ but Sloan is a part of you and I love you. Plus, she's just a teenage girl and I don't think I could live with myself if we just...sent her out on her own if she has nowhere else to go. It's the right thing to do," Addison says softly, giving him a small smile.

"I've been thinking about it too Red. _Thank you_ ," Mark tells her, leaning in to kiss her softly. "I love you," he whispers against her lips.

"I love you too," she murmurs back, holding him a little tighter. "I'm completely on board with doing what we can to help Sloan, okay? So, uh...tell her whenever you like, I guess?" Addison says with a little laugh and a sweet smile.

"Yeah, I will."

**~o~**

"So…" Amelia drawls, smirking over at Addison as they sit in Amelia's office. Addison had just finished a surgery and rushed up to see Amelia; they'd planned to have lunch together but a complication had made the surgery run longer then expected. But she was there now and clearly Amelia wants to talk. "How you doing?"

Addison lifts an eyebrow at the question, head tilting a little. "What do you mean?" she asks lightly, leaning back a little on the sofa across from Amelia.

Amelia rolls her eyes at the words, grinning in amusement at her former sister in law. "Uh, with _everything_? Hello, Addie, you've got a surprise 18 year old _step-daughter_. Not to mention, well actually you never told me what happened but...Mark and the scrub nurse situation?" she probes gently, taking a bite from her own lunch, significantly less healthy then Addison's salad.

Addison sighs at the words, shrugging a little as she looks at Amelia. She's not quite sure what to say, the past month has been a lot and she's adjusting the best she can with Sloan now in their lives. As for the _other_ thing, well, she's trying not to think about it too much.

"Mark says nothings going on," Addison answers her simply, giving her a little shrug.

But Amelia's never been that easily placated. "And? Do you believe him? Because if not, I can help you light his shit on fire," Amelia tells her with a grin, trying to lighten the mood a little even though she was the one to ask. Addison laughs a little despite herself.

She sighs though, setting her salad down and pressing her fingertips into her temple for a moment before looking back up at Amelia. "Thank you for the offer. It's sweet, in it's own Hurricane Amelia way," she chuckles teasingly, giving the younger woman a warm smile. "I do believe him, actually. The other times...he was guilty and ashamed and disgusted with himself. And it showed, in the way he was carrying himself, you know? I could see it in his eyes. But I don't see any of that in him and...you know he's worked really hard to get better, _be_ better. We both have," Addison admits, giving her pseudo sister a small smile. It was no secret that Addison and Mark saw a couple's therapist but each of them had, over the years, decided that individual therapy would be a good idea too.

"I know. But are you 100% sure? I love you and you know I love Mark like a brother too. I just don't want to see you two mess it all up. Especially now that the kiddos are older," Amelia muses quietly and it's a rather sincere thing for the other woman to say. "Plus, have you two even really talked about it?"

"We did. With Mendelsohn," Addison nods, smiling a little at Amelia's concern. "And a little before that. But, well we had an argument not long after we learnt about Sloan and...Mark said something that, well I didn't realise I was holding onto."

"What do you mean?" Amelia asks curiously, head tilting as she takes a sip of her drink.

At the question Addison sighs, glancing away. Until the moment he'd said something, Addison hadn't realised how much it hurt Mark to constantly have his past mistakes thrown back in his face. It should have been obvious of course but she hadn't ever let herself think about it until now.

"When we were arguing, I brought up the nurse. Even though I knew by that point he hadn't cheated and that it was childish. But I still did it. And, _after_ when we were talking...I apologised and said I knew he didn't sleep with her. And then he said if I knew that and believed that, that I wouldn't bring him cheating up every time we had a big fight," Addisom admits slowly, frowning a little as she remembered their talk. Glancing up, she sighs sadly at Amelia. "The thing is, he's _right_. I wouldn't bring it up if I did. A part of me still doesn't trust him but worse then that, when I said it Amelia, I wanted to hurt him. I was angry and I _knew_ that would get to him," she says, dipping her head in shame.

"Addie…" Amelia says carefully, grimacing a little at the admission, shaking her head. "That's kind of fucked up. I thought you two were doing good?"

"I know it is," Addison sighs, shaking her head and smiling sadly. "So did I. And then the nurse thing happened and then Sloan. We've been seeing Dr. Mendelsohn and that helps, honestly. Everything's moved so fast though, it feels like we've hardly had time to process anything. We're talking a lot though which is good. I just feel bad that I hurt him like that, you know? That's not the kind of wife or person I want to be," she muses, giving the neurosurgeon a half smile.

Amelia can see how affected by her actions Addison is and reaches a hand over to take Addison's, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I know Addie and you're not. You slipped up, you had a bad moment but you're not going to repeat your actions are you? You're actively working to be better. Remember that, okay. And Mark loves you, he loves you so much it's kind of sickening. He's not going to let you two fall apart without a fight."

Addison gives her a smile and a little laugh. "Thanks, Amelia," she says, giving her hand a squeeze back. She shifts her focus then, feeling as if all they ever talk about is her and she's trying to be less selfish. "Now, how's my little nephew doing? You've certainly popped lately," she asks with a smile, extending her hand to pat Amelia's stomach lightly.

"He's doing well. Growing like he should be and he's super active. I swear I've got a damn soccer player in there Addie," Amelia laughs, letting her own hand rest on her very rounded stomach. She was close to six months now and it freaks her out a little how soon she'll actually have her own little person to look after. "Hartwell says my blood pressure is a little high and she wants to keep an eye on it. But otherwise, everything is going well."

"Good," Addison nods, smiling genuinely then as she takes Amelia's hand once again. "I'm so happy for you Amelia. I know things have been tough but...you're so strong. This boy's going to be _so loved_."

"Ew. Don't go getting mushy and sentimental on me Ads!" Amelia groans playfully, though she's smiling widely. "Thank you though Addison. I really couldn't have done it without you and Mark."

"You have nothing to thank us for. You're our sister Amelia. That's never going to change," Addison tells her firmly. Just as she's about to say more, her pager goes off and both women groan. "I guess I better get back to it. Babies to birth and all that," she chuckles, standing up. "I'll see you later."

And with that she's out the door and on her way towards the birthing suites.

**~o~**

That Saturday the house was unusually empty, something Mark Sloan was not used to at all. Addison had taken the kids to Connecticut to see the Captain for the weekend for his birthday. Usually Mark would have gone with them but he was covering an on-call shift for one of the younger plastics attendings whose wife had just had their first child. Addison had understood and even though he and the Captain got along, he knew his presence wouldn't be missed.

Amelia is upstate visiting Carolyn and Mark tries to ignore the pang of longing when he thinks of the older woman; he thought of her as his mother for 30+ years and though they've repaired their relationship, things have never quite been the same with her since he and Addison got together. It didn't hurt as much anymore, now that he's got his own family but he can't help but miss the woman at times.

As for Sloan, he realises with a start, he has no clue where the teenage girl is and he resists the urge to call her. It's nowhere close to the curfew they'd set for her, in fact it's just barely 6pm and he doesn't want to come across as overbearing but mostly he's just not used to being alone anymore. A quiet house feels odd to him now.

He's got a hockey game playing on the TV and he's only half watching it. He just wants some background noise as he flips through a medical journal, a familiar name catching his attention and he stops to read it, impressed by the details of the clinical trial. He's engrossed in the article when he hears someone coming up the stairs and when he looks up, he sees the blonde hair of his eldest daughter appear.

"Oh, hey Mark," Sloan says, looking surprised to see him.

Mark grins, happy to see his daughter and not just because it meant he has some company. "Hey Sloan! Want to watch a movie or something? I'm not that into this game," Mark calls to her, suggesting lightly as he tilts his head towards the television.

"Okay," Sloan nods, shrugging as she makes her way over to the couch and sits on the other end to Mark, reaching for the remote. She frowns a little, looking around. "Where is everyone?" she asks curiously, realising how quiet the house is and the absence of her little half-siblings.

Mark grins a little at her question. "Addie and the kids went to see her father in Connecticut. It's his birthday, he's having some kind of...soiree, Addison's words, not mine," Mark chuckles. "I was going to go but I'm covering for another attending. Their wife just had a kid," Mark explains with a shrug, the medical journal still open in his hands.

"Cool," Sloan replies, not particularly that interested but she did ask the question. She starts lazily flicking through the television channels but from the corner of her eye she can see that Mark's had the magazine flipped open to the same page for a while now. "What're you reading?" she asks curiously, even though she knows it's probably a medical journal. The house was surprisingly full of them but she supposes with three successful doctors in the house it actually makes sense.

Mark's eyebrow rises at Sloan's question, completely surprised she's showing any interest at all. "Oh. It's just about a clinical trial in Seattle," Mark tells her lightly, lifting the journal up a little showing Sloan the pages. He's surprised when Sloan leans a little closer, looking at the magazine, frowning a little.

"Shepherd," Sloan murmurs as she reads the name in the first paragraph. She sits back, looking over at Mark curiously. "It says Doctor Shepherd. Is that like, one of Amelia's sisters?" she asks, frowning a little at the weird expression on Mark's face.

Mark shakes his head. "No. That's her brother. Derek. He's a neurosurgeon too," he tells her very matter of factly. He closes the journal then, tossing it onto the coffee table and focuses his gaze on the cartoon Sloan has turned the channel to.

"Oh. Amelia said you were friends with her brother. Kind of cool having your friend in a magazine and all that."

A moment passes then and Mark frowns a little. "What else did Amelia say?" he questions, turning his head to look at the teenager.

Sloan shrugs. "Just that she's known you and Addison since she was like, a kid. And that you and her brother are best friends," Sloan tells him with a bored smile. "So like, when did you and Addison get together? Like, med school or after or something?" she asks, actually curious now. She's sort of been assuming they'd been together for a long time, especially when she realised they went to medical school together but now that she thinks about it, that wouldn't make sense. Not with what her mother has said about Mark and their time together and the fact Amelia says she met Addison as a teenager. They weren't _that_ far apart in age.

"Uh, no, not in med school. We actually only got married three years ago. We were...on and off for a few years before that. But overall, we've been together about seven years," Mark tells her honestly, shrugging a little as he glances over at the blonde.

Sloan frowns a little at that. "Really? You guys just...seem like you've been together for like, ages," she says a little astounded.

"Well, we've known each other since medical school. So about 20 years," Mark chuckles, shaking his head at how old he suddenly feels. "Addison was married before. To uh, Amelia's brother Derek, actually," Mark continues, unsure why he's telling Sloan all this. But he figures there's nothing wrong with sharing, it might even make her feel comfortable sharing back. Call it _bonding_ or whatever.

"What?" Sloan asks then, turning to look at Mark with wide eyes. This was not what she was expecting to hear. "Aren't you and her brother friends?"

Mark nods. "Yeah. It's...complicated," Mark says, hand coming up to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly.

" _Mark_ , I'm a pregnant 18 year old. I think I can handle complicated," Sloan laughs, smirking a little at her father.

Mark's eyebrows rise at her words, a smirk on his lips as he chuckles a little. She has a point and it's not like she's a little kid either. It seems safe enough to tell her the proper story. "Fine. Addie'd kill me if she knew I was telling you all this; it doesn't exactly paint us in a good light. But uh, she was still married to Derek when she and I got together. I'm not proud of it, it's one of the worst things I've ever done but we fell in love. Derek is, _was_ , my best friend, we'd known each other since we were kids. Brothers basically. But their marriage wasn't great for a while before anything happened. Not that that excuses what we did, obviously. Just, yeah. Anyway, we...fell in love and I know that's cliche but it's true. We started sleeping together and then Derek found out and took off to Seattle and he's been there ever since. We saw him once, about a year and a half after everything went down and that was it," Mark explains rather candidly, keeping his eyes trained on the television.

"Huh," Sloan huffs, leaning back against the couch in surprise. "That is...a lot more complicated then I expected. I mean, Addison doesn't really seem the type to screw around on her husband… And like, you did that to your best friend?"

"First of all, Addison's not that type. It was just...a bad situation. As for me? Like I said, that was one of the worst things I've ever done. I'm definitely not proud of it. I lost my brother and I regret that but I don't regret the family and life Addison and I have now. She's the love of my life," Mark tells her honestly. He smiles a little then, turning to look at Sloan.

"Aren't you ever like, worried she'll cheat on you?" Sloan asks bluntly, grimacing a little at the thought.

Mark laughs, he can't help it before shaking his head. At one point, in the very beginning he'd worried about things like that, insecure that she'd go after Derek, using it as a way to shield himself from hurt. But Addison really wasn't the cheater in their relationship.

Sloan frowns though at the unexpected response.

"No, I'm not worried about that. Like I said, when Addison cheated on her husband it was a bad situation. But things are different with Addie and I," he assures her, his belief in their relationship 100%.

"If you say so," Sloan shrugs, though she's still surprised by their history. And though she'd asked the initial question, she has to admit, she can't really see Addison cheating.

"I do. Addie and I are in it for the long haul," Mark tells her. There's silence for a moment and it's not awkward but it isn't exactly comfortable either. "You want a pizza for dinner?" Mark asks after a moment, deciding food would be a good idea.

"Sure," Sloan replies, breathing a sigh of relief, focusing back on the TV.

Mark orders and before long they've got a large pizza and garlic bread to share between them. There was also a large bottle of soda to share between them, something Addison didn't usually allow in the house, unless it was for a special occasion and Mark tended to agree with her ban on sugary foods and drinks. But it was just the two of them tonight and Mark figures he can indulge a little.

The pizza is almost finished and an action movie is playing on the TV when Mark decides to speak again. He's been meaning to have a conversation about this for a few days now, ever since Addison brought it up the other night. Tonight seems like as good a time as any.

"Have you talked to your mom lately Sloan?" Mark asks carefully, watching the teenager as she frowns a little. Addison had mentioned Sloan's mother briefly the other day and he's curious. He's had no contact with Samantha Riley in 19 years.

"Yeah. The other day, I rang her. But uh...she wasn't that happy to hear from me," Sloan says slowly, hands fiddling with the phone that seems to be ever attached to her hands. Mark's about to ask what happened but Sloan continues anyway. "She said not to bother coming home if I was keeping the baby. That I was ruining my life and all that shit," she sighs, rolling her eyes a little but Mark can see the words have clearly effected her.

"Sloan, it's your choice if you want to keep the baby. And even if you give it up for adoption, that's okay too. Addison and I, we'll help you figure all that out. We want to be there for you. In fact, we were thinking that, if you wanted you could keep staying with us, until the baby is born? I know you don't know us very well but you're my family kid and we want to help," Mark tells her sincerely, if a little awkwardly. He's never been great at the whole heartfelt speeches kind of thing.

"Really?" Sloan asks quietly, looking down at her phone.

"Yeah, kid. Addie's an OB and we can help you figure out all the adoption stuff. If you still want to do that. If not, that's okay too. We'll...figure it out," Mark tells her calmly, giving her a smile.

Sloan thinks it over for a moment and then nods. "Yeah. Okay, cool. I'd like that," she says casually, lifting a shoulder in a shrug.

If Mark didn't know better he'd think Sloan didn't care but he's come to learn over the month or so she's been there, that she's not really one to show much outside emotion. But he could see the little smile she was trying to hide.

"Alright. I'm glad that's settled then. But just to let you know, Addie might want to take you shopping to, I don't know, personalise your room or whatever. She's like that," Mark chuckles good-naturedly, turning his gaze back to the TV.

"Good to know," Sloan muses, smirking a little. "I'm gonna go to bed now then. Uh, night Mark."

"Night Sloan."

**~o~**

Sunday morning comes with Mark being called into the hospital early, he'd been expecting that anyway. The day moves quickly and he spends half of it in the OR. By the time he gets home, Addison, the kids _and_ Amelia are all already home. He hugs the kids, ruffles Amelia's hair like she's still 8 years old and kisses Addison tiredly.

The afternoon is slow once their rowdy kids have slowed down. Addison let them burn off an excess of energy once they'd gotten home - the Montgomery's weren't exactly tolerant of loud, energetic children. Unfortunately, Samson and Madison were half Sloan's and most definitely take after their father.

Now though the kids are tucked into bed, having fallen asleep earlier then usual after their busy weekend. And Sloan and Amelia are doing their own things. It really does seem like the perfect time for them to spend some time together. They share a shower and go about their nightly ritual slowly as Addison unloads to Mark about the Captain's and Archer's slutty antics.

"Anyway," Addison sighs, running a brush through her hair as she sits in front of her vanity. "Enough about my family. They'll never change. Did you uh, talk to Sloan?" she asks, dropping the brush to the vanity and turning to watch her husband for a moment. He was leaning against the door of the bathroom, shirtless and relaxed and Addison wished he'd come with her to Connecticut.

"I did. It was...good I think? You know the girl doesn't really give much," Mark tells her with a slight chuckle. "She's going to stay. I know I haven't known her for a long time but...I'm happy she's staying, you know? To at least get to be apart of this part of her life," he muses.

Addison smiles, standing up and making her way over to Mark, hands settling on his chest and pressing a kiss lightly to his lips. "I'm glad for you. And hey, I looked into adoption agencies the other day but I'll bring some pamphlets or some contact info home tomorrow. We can...get started on looking into it," Addison tells him softly.

"Thank you for being so helpful, Red. I know this has been a lot," Mark tells her, following her as she heads for their bedroom.

Addison shakes her head. "You don't need to thank me, I'm your wife. It's what I'm here for," she tells him with a chuckle and a grin. "I can't believe we've got another pregnant woman in the house. I did not expect that for our year," Addison says with a laugh, pulling open their bedroom door just a little.

"I know. When did we become a pregnant boarding house?" Mark scoffs jokingly, shaking his head in disbelief as he and Addison get ready for bed.

There's a ridiculous amount of _throw pillows_ on the bed and he tosses them off to the side without a care. He can see the unimpressed look Addison is giving him but it's been six years; he's not going to change now. Still though, he's surprised she doesn't say anything, even if it's just his name on a sigh.

It's a testament to how tired she must truly be. Not even an admonishment in his direction and as they both climb into their sides of the bed, he reaches a strong, toned arm out towards her and pulls her in close. Addison doesn't complain, simply lets him wind his arm around her waist and hold her body against his.

He gives her silk clad hip a little squeeze as he presses a kiss to the top of her head. "You didn't answer my question babe," he teases huskily, relaxing back into bed as he feels her slip a leg over and between his.

"I thought it was rhetorical," Addison laughs lightly against his bare chest. He can feel her puffs of air against his skin. Addison shifts then, so she's propped up on her hands against his chest. Blue eyes seeking his in the relatively low light of the bedside lamp he hadn't yet turned off. "Besides, I don't think it counts as boarding if there's only _two_ pregnant people in the house," she replies freshly, a smile on her face.

Mark scoffs once again, shaking his head. "Like you know so much about what constitutes a boarding house," he retorts, rolling his eyes. His eyes find hers again, a lascivious grin on his features. "We could always make it _three_ pregnant people in the house," he whispers to her suggestively, sneaking a hand beneath her pyjama top and stroking the smooth skin of her back and hip sensually.

"Ha," Addison barks out a quiet laugh; letting him cop a feel while she shakes her head. "Not a _chance_ Dr. Sloan. I'm done having babies," she continues, rolling her eyes at her husband.

"Well," Mark starts again, hand slipping down to grope her ass, "we could always practice the _making_ babies part," he tries to corral her seductively.

Addison laughs even as she shifts against him, rising up to swing a leg over his thighs. She leans in to kiss him thoroughly, hair falling around them like a curtain. They both moan into the kiss even though Addison pulls away first.

"That always was the fun part," she agrees huskily, eyes dark with lust meeting his own as his hands settle on her hips, pulling her close. Mark grins and Addison giggles as she dips her head to kiss him once again.


End file.
